Fragmented markets a challenge for brands
WA brands want access to more specialised media channels to fine-tune their consumer messaging but do not want to deal with a grab bag of agencies to get it, says media planning veteran Clive Bingwa.
Mr Bingwa — who in September resigned as 303LOWE’s national media director after nearly 16 years with the agency — is spearheading the expansion of media and communications giant IPG Mediabrands into WA.
He told M&M this week that as viewers drifted away from traditional media towards digital channels it was becoming increasingly hard for brands to reach consumers effectively on a large enough scale.
Mr Bingwa said instead of brands using one main channel, such as television, supported by two or three other channels — maybe radio, print and outdoor — they now needed nine or 10 channels, including options such as search and mobile, to reach those consumers.
Mr Bingwa said IPG Mediabrands, which owns several specialist marketing services companies, was expanding into the State to capitalise on the opportunities presented by that trend and complexity.
The company already has a presence in WA through media planning agency Initiative, run by managing director Chris O’Keefe, and through its Reprise business, which looks after paid search and search-engine optimisation marketing.
But now the WA market will have access to a suite of IPG Mediabrands services through its various business arms, including social media service Society, brand activation service Ensemble, analytics and research business Anomaly, mobile solutions service MNET and automated media buying (programmatic) arm Cadreon.
“The important thing is that all of these assets are centrally owned and controlled — they’re not run as silo businesses,” Mr Bingwa said.
“So where I need to make a decision on the best communication platform for a client we basically recommend the right solution; we’re not under any pressure to recommend one business area over another.”
This “full service” offering does not make IPG Mediabrands unique, but Mr Bingwa said the agency was not entering the Perth market for a short-term “smash and grab”. He wanted “to see the WA market thrive”.
“This really is about actually delivering quantifiable results for clients in a landscape that is becoming harder and harder to navigate,” he said.
IPG Mediabrands already works with the RAC, Murdoch University, Barbagallo Group, P&N Bank and iiNet in WA.
Mr Bingwa said the company was working with both agencies and clients directly.
Initiative remains an independent brand under Mr O’Keefe.
