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Ex-McCann executives launch PR & social agency, IVY, within BCM Group

Two former senior executives from McCann Worldgroup’s The Red Republic have launched a new earned media agency within BCM Group called IVY.

Mumbrella can reveal that The Red Republic’s former managing director Mia Hamilton, has teamed up with former group account director Emma Bedsor to create the agency.

IVY is set to offer PR, social media, influencer management, events and activations, to complement BCM Group’s current media, digital and creative services.

Emma Bedsor & Mia Hamilton have launched IVY

The agency will have offices in Sydney and Brisbane, and Hamilton and Bedsor will serve as co-managing directors.

Hamilton, who had been with The Red Republic since 2010 in roles that included group account director and creative, director said she and Bedsor will have the autonomy to build out the agency, despite it sitting within BCM Group.

“Emma and I have wanted to shape an agency like IVY for some time and the independence, freedom and autonomy inherent to BCM Group, has provided the perfect environment for us to do so.

“The irony is that PR has an image problem and we want to be a brand that helps counter that. Earned media doesn’t just come from a press release, it can begin with a TVC, a social media post, or a clever search campaign.

“Brand love needs to be earned and any material that connects a brand to consumers in a memorable, or meaningful way, will naturally find its way into press and eventually the public vernacular. We work with creative and strategy departments to reverse engineer that process.”

IVY will have offices in Sydney and Brisbane

Bedsor, meanwhile, had been with The Red Republic for over six years, and was previously at full-service marketing agency TwoCents Group.

She said IVY will have the foresight to recognise that PR is not always the answer and will over a diverse range of solutions for clients. “Too often we see press office agencies ticking boxes, and working in silos.

“Working with a broader agency group like BCM is absolutely key to developing the kind of creatively persuasive campaigns that move the needle on consumer sentiment for brands.

“BCM is one of Australia’s top independents, and is truly integrated, which is a refreshing proposition. The reality is, PR is not always the answer. And we’re enjoying being able to deliver our clients a truly diverse range of solutions including digital, performance and media.”

BCM Group partner and managing director, Phil McDonald, said it’s exciting to be moving into the Sydney market with IVY. “Being able to create ideas that use both earned and paid media in tandem, makes them bigger and way more effective in a fragmented media landscape.

“This expansion of our Group and a more considered move into the Sydney market is incredibly exciting. On top of that Mia and Emma are both wonderfully talented which is a huge bonus.”

BCM recently unveiled a new campaign for national home builder GJ Gardner, having been appointed to the company’s creative and media account a month prior.

Hero Group founder Ben Lilley acquired McCann Worldgroup Australia in early 2020, and three months later took ownership Red Engine, merging it into McCann Worldgroup’s partner public relations agency, The Red Republic.

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