ARN sells stake in Emotive as it streamlines business
ARN Media has sold its majority stake in creative agency Emotive as it moves its focus back to audio.
Emotive founder and CEO Simon Joyce confirmed the sale to Mumbrella, saying “the timing was right” and that the separation was on good terms.
“The support I’ve had from [ARN CEO] Ciaran [Davis] and the ARN team over the past decade has been nothing short of extraordinary.”
Emotive founder and CEO Simon Joyce
Joyce said ARN’s majority stake in the agency had been sold back to himself and COO Ben Keep, the only other shareholder.
The sale is part of a three-year “business transformation programme” announced by ARN in late February, which aims to cut $40 million in costs — around 20% of the company’s total cash cost base.
In April, the company made around 100 redundancies, in order to “become leaner and more efficient”, ARN chair Hamish McLennan said at the time.
“Simplifying our business and reallocating resources — shifting from internal admin to innovation is the goal.”
McLennan further signalled a simplification of the company’s model at its annual general meeting in May, announcing its intention to sell its Hong Kong outdoor advertising operation Cody.
“Our current operating model carries too much complexity,” McLennan said.
Emotive was launched in 2015 by Joyce, with financial backing from by APN News & Media, which rebranded to Here, There & Everywhere, and again to ARN Media. It originally launched as a content marketing division of APN News & Media, with iHeart Radio as its foundational client.
Joyce outlined in a written statement to Mumbrella just how life-changing the investment from ARN had been. The statement follows:
Just over ten years ago, I pitched Ciaran Davis and ARN Media to take a stake in a creative agency, Emotive, which at the time was nothing more than a business plan wrapped in big belief. It was non-synergistic, high-risk, and almost unheard of – a media company investing in a creative agency. But they backed me and our vision to operate independently from day one.
The support I’ve had from Ciaran and the ARN team over the past decade has been nothing short of extraordinary. It’s nerve-racking when you take the leap to start a new business, especially when you have three kids and no plan B. But they never tried to shape us into something we weren’t and gave us the runway to build something special. It’s been an incredible success: Emotive now partners with over 20 blue-chip brands across a diverse range of categories, and we’ve built a strong reputation for creating ideas that change how people feel. Without doubt, it’s been the most enjoyable period of my working life.
And we are now moving into a new era of full independence. In a world of media fragmentation, AI and brand apathy, full autonomy gives us the freedom to move faster, think bigger, and back what matters most, our people, our ideas, and the ambitions we share with our clients.
Coming off our 10-year milestone, the timing feels right. It’s a decision that we made together and with total mutual respect. Partnerships like this are rare, and I’ll always be grateful.
Emotive staff, 2025
In 2020, ARN formally appointed Emotive to its creative accounts, leading brand and campaign work for its portfolio including KIIS, Pure Gold, The Edge and iHeart Radio, nationally.
In more recent years, Emotive has operated independently, with current clients including Hoka, Altos Tequila, Google, and the recently-announced Perfection Fresh.
The agency recently underwent a brand refresh for its tenth anniversary. Although its purpose of “creating ideas that change how people feel” hasn’t changed, Joyce told Mumbrella it had outgrown its identity.
“We weren’t doing enough to celebrate our purpose,” he said last month.
Emotive is currently undergoing a number of evolutions including the formation of an advisory team, the launch of a new agile retainer model, the creation of a specialist AI unit, and the construction of a new measurement system.
The advancements come as the agency has “absolutely nailed” its ‘fame’ offering, after a long period of trial and error. Last month, members of the agency’s leadership team gave Mumbrella an inside look into its operations “after getting it wrong” in the past.
The sale comes in the same week that ARN’s main rival Southern Cross Austereo completed its move to an audio-only company. On Tuesday, SCA sold its remaining regional TV licences to Seven West Media, after selling off a number of regional licences to Network Ten last year.
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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