Digital Remedy launches in Australia; revives subsidiary of embattled ad group, Big Village
When Big Village entered administration, its measurement arm, EMX, also found itself up for sale in the market. But thanks to a friend, the Australian team of EMX has been given a second life via Digital Remedy, a new agency that launched locally this week.
Deryck Wills, the now ANZ managing director of Digital Remedy and the previous country manager of EMX, told Mumbrella that it was “frustrating” when Big Village went down.
Deryck Wills
As a subsidiary, EMX Australia relied heavily on the US group from a technology standpoint. However, while the latter was struggling at the end of last year, Wills said the Australian operation was doing “really, really well”.
Wills said the Australian team made a management buyout offer (MBO), but the administrator was determined to sell Big Village as a whole. After a few months of searching, not a single buyer has expressed interest in taking everything.
However, this all changed when Wills was introduced by his previous CEO at EMX to Mike Seiman, CEO of the media technology company Digital Remedy. The stars aligned when Wills realised Digital Remedy, a US-based company up to this point, was eyeing its first international expansion into either Australia or the UK.
Mike Seiman
The firm was looking to tap into the Australian market’s need for omnichannel performance marketing solutions. Its main products include an over-the-top platform performance CTV measurement tool.
“After literally three conversations with Mike and talking to him about how what we’ve done, our client base, our focus, and talking about their products and culture in the US, we knew it was a match made in heaven,” Wills said.
Having an entire team that’s already on the ground and an established client base, EMX was too good of an opportunity to pass. In the end, Digital Remedy hired all eight members of the EMX Australia team, from operations to sales.
After a month and a half of localising Digital Remedy’s tools and platform, Wills said his team has already been in conversations with a few established indie agencies.
As a partner of the IMAA (Independent Media Agency Association), Digital Remedy’s immediate goals include fostering relationships with Australian independent agencies. In the long-term, the agency wants to drive its own brand awareness and client relationships.
CEO and chairman of Digital Remedy, Mike Seiman, said: “According to the IAB Australia, the digital ad market in Australia was $14.2 billion in 2022.
“From a capabilities and market maturity perspective, Digital Remedy is primed to translate its value proposition through locally native solutions designed for the needs of the AU market.”
Digital Remedy’s team in the region consists of Deryck Wills, Carly Bunny, Alex Cook, Rohan Green, Kamal Brar, Madeleine Kent, Vanessa Di Deo, Nina Markovic, Amelia Labzin and Lucy Alvarez.
Got a tip?
Darcy Song was a reporter at Mumbrella, covering media owners, adtech and social platforms. She left in October 2023.
Linkedin
topics
Big Village
Deryck Wills
Digital Remedy
EMX
Mike Seiman
Have your say