News Limited, Foxtel and Twentieth Century Fox appoint media agencies to its $100m+ business
Australia: The chief executive of News Limited, Kim Williams, today announced that the company and its sister organisations have appointed new media agencies to handle its $100m+ business.
The new agency line-up is –
· News Limited – MediaBrands / UM
· Foxtel – Group M / MediaCom
· Twentieth Century Fox – ZenithOptimedia
Says Williams (pictured): “Today’s announcement is another important step in the evolution of News Corp’s Australian businesses as we redefine the group.
“As we all focus on putting our customers at the centre of everything we do, it is imperative that we go to market with detailed, data-driven, insights – which respond well to expressed needs and consumption preferences.
“UM, MediaCom and ZenithOptimedia are all superb media agencies. Each brought to the table their own particular strengths, which will make them ideal partners for our companies.
“The calibre of presentation from all the agencies we saw was very high and it was a tough decision – we would like to thank all the participating agencies for the time and effort that went into their pitches. We would also like to thank ZenithOptimedia for its efforts on News Limited’s, Foxtel’s and Twentieth Century Fox’s behalf over the last seven years.”
On the News Limited choice Williams said: “During the pitch process it became clear that MediaBrands has a deep understanding of News Limited and the many opportunities for us to grow our business. UM’s commitment to innovation and their in-house analytical capabilities will be invaluable as we re-engineer News and our brands for all the platforms our consumers love – print, online, mobile, tablet and broadcast.”
The executive chairman of MediaBrands, Henry Tajer, said “We are thrilled to be working with Australia’s largest media company, which houses some of the greatest brands in the country. Kim and his team have a bold strategy for growth and to be given the account as they transform News Limited is a real honour.”
Says Foxtel chief executive Richard Freudenstein: “We are delighted to welcome MediaCom as our new national media agency. The quality and depth of their team will greatly enhance Foxtel’s capacity to tell its story of delivering a better entertainment experience.”
Group M’s chairman and chief executive John Steedman said: “Having been given insight into Richard’s vision for Foxtel and some of the exciting brand and product developments ahead, there is no doubt that this is going to be a fantastic account for the MediaCom team to work on.”
Says Twentieth Century Fox managing director Marc Wooldridge: “ZenithOptmedia put forward a compelling pitch demonstrating strategic planning excellence and focus on consumer insights with clear commercial application. ZO have a great track record on our business, and during the pitch process demonstrated first class capabilities for adding value in an increasingly fragmented and complex media environment.”
Says chief executive of ZenithOptimedia, Ian Perrin: “ZenithOptimedia is absolutely thrilled to be appointed as the media agency for Twentieth Century Fox. We are wholly committed to delivering ROI for our clients, and we couldn’t find a partner who shares this commitment more. We look forward to building on the group partnership started by Publicis Media, and deliver innovative and effective solutions for them.”
News is expecting to complete its review of its master media brands account in the next few weeks.