Ex-Fairfax, Aegis, Switch Media figure Lee Stephens launches new media agency
Industry figure Lee Stephens has officially announced his latest venture into market – a new media agency that promises to “reshape” the ways brands engage with audiences.
Meerkat Media will look to combat the increasingly complex media landscape and help brand adapt to reach audiences. By leveraging media, technology, and AI, the agency said it will create compelling media moments, cut through the clutter, and helps clients authentically reach and connect with consumers.
As commercial director of Fairfax Media in the early 2000s, Stephens has long been aware of the challenges of the media industry. During his time at Fairfax, he brought the digital arm to profit after years of significant loss.
He then moved agencyside to become CEO of ASX-listed Emitch Media, the digital arm of Mitchell Media, before moving on to global media buying group Aegis Media in 2007 (both now part of Dentsu). His other previous experience includes introducing dentsu’s iProspect to the region as head of digital APAC, serving as a shareholder of indie agency Switch Media, and most recently launching CTV platforms EngageTV and onthefarm.tv.
Lee Stephens and Per Tinberg
“The reality is consumers now engage with content across multiple channels simultaneously, making traditional audience tracking methods obsolete. Meerkat focuses on creating standout moments that inspire audiences to follow and engage with brands,” Stephens explained.
“By tapping into what makes each brand unique, we build media moments that not only capture attention but also generate actionable results.
“Meerkat Media integrates cutting-edge technology to design smarter, data-powered media strategies.
“The platform gathers and analyzes data from various sources – internal sales, media performance, or trusted third-party providers – to create predictive and practical campaigns. Meerkat’s mission is to transform raw data into insights that deliver measurable impact for its clients.”
Per Tinberg joins Stephens as the agency’s managing director.
He brings over a decade of experience working in media including at Switch Digital where he assisted in growing sales for several brands and oversaw major media strategies for brands including Jenny Craig, Nokia, and Football Australia.
“AI and privacy protection are the modern angst of marketers. Failing to leverage data from your marketing investment squanders an opportunity, while misusing it risks eroding customer trust. At Meerkat, data security is at the heart of our AI and Privacy services,” Tinberg said.
“We collaborate with partners to craft custom AI solutions that reliably predict audiences and locate areas of demand based on real data and your current marketing investment.
“Every solution is unique, tailored to drive impactful growth for our clients and unlock future opportunities for creating compelling media moments.”
The agency launches soon in Sydney, with four key staff and clients, including a financial services brand, to be announced in due course.
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the agency beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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topics
Aegis
Dentsu
Fairfax
Fairfax Media
Lee Stephens
Media
Media agency
Meerkat Media
Mitchell Media
Per Tinberg
Switch Media
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