Sean Cummins
Sean Cummins has revealed plans to open a CumminsRoss office in New York next May, as the independent full-service agency looks to capitalise on a burgeoning reputation.
“We’re doing it not to necessarily fly the flag of patriotism, but because we think we play a good game and a global game and we want to get out there to the best in the world,” Cummins told Mumbrella’s sister title Encore.
The agency is currently headquartered in Melbourne, with a smaller office in Adelaide. Cummins said it was too early to talk about clients or who would staff and lead the new operation.
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Describing the move as “exciting” he said he believed it was a first for Australia, adding: “I can’t remember in my living memory or career a Melbourne independent agency opening up in New York.”
CumminsRoss opened in January 2011 and boasts clients including Jeep, Asahi, Nike, Tennis Australia and Jacob’s Creek. Last month the co-founder of Naked Communications in Australia, Adam Ferrier, took a stake in the agency, joining as chief strategy officer.
The move comes after comments made by Cummins to Encore last year, where he said he would open an office in New York before Sydney. “That was my way of saying that for the effort you go into opening up an office in another state, you might as well try something international. It’s always been on our business plan to do something of that nature and magnitude,” said Cummins.
“If you’re a good enough agency, you can service clients who are in Sydney from Melbourne so this is just part of our business plan. It’s been a long time in the fermenting and now it’s on the near horizon,” he added.
“I presume I’ll spend time in Adelaide, I’ll spend time in Melbourne and I’ll spend time in New York but that’s just not exclusive to me, that’s for a number of people, a number of partners,” he said. “What we want to do is have a mutual exchange of people across Australia and the US.”
Miranda Ward
Cummins and Ferrier will be interviewed on stage about their vision for a modern full service agency at the SAGE – Secrets of Agency Excellence – events in Melbourne on November 20 and Sydney on November 21.