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Publicis media agencies merge programmatic capabilities amid claims rivals aren’t transparent

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.12.09 pmScreen Shot 2015-04-30 at 10.12.01 pmPublicis-owned media agencies Starcom MediaVest and ZenithOptimedia are integrating their programmatic trading capabilities with Starcom’s CEO claiming it will provide more transparency to the process.

The move targets GroupM’s Xaxis and Mediabrands’ Cadreon platforms, and will see the Publicis agencies merge the Vivaki Audience on Demand suite across the two groups.

Starcom CEO Chris Nolan told Mumbrella: “By bringing this in-house it is not just about transparency. Clients will be able to see where their money is being spent,  but primarily this is about programmatic strategy in the total media strategy.”

ZenithOptimedia CEO Ian Perrin also took aim his rivals saying: “In an environment where many questions are being raised about the non-transparency of trading desks, we believe we need to be unequivocal in our position.

“This is a move clearly made to ensure we are focused on the requirements of our clients.”

In a statement Perrin played down perceptions of programmatic being a “cash-cow” for agencies, saying: “We have always believed in delivering client relevant solutions that are in their best interests, and by bringing programmatic inhouse, we can ensure we deliver on this.”

Nolan said has he saw the move as important for the agency in terms of building synergies and scale in programmatic in Australia.

“We believe that providing our clients with a more integrated and bespoke solution is pivotal in how we deliver experiences,” he said.

“As programmatic continues to move into new channels, we believe this move allows us to be well placed to deliver personalisation across many more channels with speed.”

Nic Christensen

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