Havas wins Kia media account in pitch run by the brand’s creative agency
Havas Media is to take on media duties for car brand Kia Motors, picking up the business from incumbent Initiative, which declined to take part in the pitch.
Unusually, the process was run by Kia’s creative agency Innocean, which has common ownership with Kia’s part owner Hyundai.
Mike Wilson, Havas Media CEO, said: “All of us at Havas Media are extremely proud and excited to be working with both Innocean and Kia Motors. We’ll look to contribute some dynamic, fresh thinking to the business and look forward to helping Kia continue its rapid growth in Australia.”
Wilson: Looking forward to working for Kia and Innocean
In an announcement, Innocean Australia’s CEO, Peter Fitzhardinge said “Havas Media proved to be the right fit. They are a new media agency in town and have had good success in their first three years. I like Mike and his team. They are ambitious, nimble and innovative and they’re not scared to try new things.”
Fitzhardinge added in the statement: “Initiative have been a major part of Kia’s success since 2008 and I thank them for all they have
done to help build the brand and the business over this time.”
Havas will work alongside programmatic and digital agency Admatic.
The account will move across from Initiative to next month.
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Will the media agencies end up needing to court the creatives with lavish lunches and trips away?
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The answer: courting? Absolutely! After all the media presentations, numbers cruntching, account group client meetings and creative battles…That’s the fun part of our Ad business. That’s what keeps us All skipping to work daily..A LAVISH lunch A TRIP across the GLOBE… Oh Yeahhhh! Love it!
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Rest assured there will be an interesting financial situation between these companies. The real losers are the Kia marketers who are forced to use creative and media agencies that are effectively owned by the parent in Korea – meaning they can’t choose the best performers in the market – and their own bonuses suffer.
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Well done Mike, Imogen and team. Good win.
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Wonder how many people have thought much about the value of having the incumbent creative agency run and assist in deciding the outcome of a media agency pitch?
Sounds like a damned good idea to me. Maybe creative people can see what clients (or media “experts”) can’t see, and get to work with people they splice well with, to the benefit everybody but most importantly the advertiser.
Well done Mike and people, regardless.
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Just came across this..it’s never too late to say thanks, Alan!
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