Ikea Australia cancels creative review mid-pitch as stakeholders too busy
Ikea Australia has ditched a pitch for its creative account after shortlisting agencies because “key stakeholders” were too busy to complete the process.
Mumbrella understands the pitch for the eastern creative work, currently held by The Monkeys, had got as far as chemistry sessions with the shortlisted agencies before the retailer decided to call it off earlier this week.
Ikea Australia advertising manager Rowena Kanna said: “Ikea Australia made the decision this week to postpone its creative agency pitch, due to a number of internal processes and projects, as well as availability of key stakeholders to take part in the review process. The closed pitch was at RFI stage with the incumbent agencies plus selected agencies.”
Mumbrella understands the shortlisted agencies were The Monkeys, 303Lowe, JWT and The Works.
The retailer’s account is split between east and west, with 303Lowe Perth managing the brand in WA and SA.
The Monkeys worked with Ikea on its ‘make time for living’ campaign in September last year, and have held the account since late 2010, replacing Host in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
Ikea has not announced a date for a future pitch for the account.
Match Media handles the brand’s media account, which it extended in April last year when it picked up the buying component as well as strategy, while Lavender handle’s the brand’s loyalty program.
‘Make Time for Living’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoBl3J7tXoY
Miranda Ward
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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Says it all really.
Is this is how clients think the pitch process should go.
‘We’re a bit bored with what’s happening – let’s pitch”
“Oh, it’s a lot more work than we thought”
“Let’s postpone it because we’re too busy”
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@ because they can……I would like to think most of us have a bit more respect for our agencies………and our own reputations to be as simplistic as you describe.
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So the process has been shelved, (or ekby ostened as they probably call it).
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Imagine is @because they can works for @client’s agency…
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This is EXACTLY why we refused being involved in pitch processes from 2010 onwards. Never been happier than when our agency stopped ‘dancing’ for clients in pitches.
This says a lot about the competency of the IKEA marketing team.
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Is postponed the same thing as cancelled? I wouldn’t have thought so.
And were there three shortlisted agencies or four? Story references three, but then goes on to name four.
IKEA’s spokesperson mentions several factors for the postponement, of which one is stakeholder availability.
Those pesky facts!
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By the by, that IKEA piece runs for over 2 minutes. What on earth is that? I can’t believe the client approved the script.
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Who would have b33n m0st annoyed by this…? Repitch might see one less name.
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Crazy IKEA. Also, I think that the account isn’t split between east and west – IKEA the company owns the stores in Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne, while Adelaide and Perth are still franchised. Crazy IKEA.
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Probably too busy trying to figure out how to assemble their boardroom which arrived in flat packs from Sweden five years ago.
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