Ensemble cast: can new management make sense of the agency’s eclectic talents?
The sudden axing of Ensemble’s founders in February sent ructions through the industry. Alex Hayes sat down with new bosses Melissa Fein and Michael Stanford to find out what their plans are for what has been one of the most respected agencies in the country.
Fein
When I ask Ensemble’s Melissa Fein what her hopes are for the agency it’s clear she’s not shooting low – it is to “globalise the Ensemble brand”.
That’s an ambitious ask for an agency which is seen, from the outside at least, as being in something of a state of flux since the sudden axing of its founders, CEO Justin Ricketts and managing director Tim Hodgson, in one of the first acts by newly-minted minted IPG Mediabrands CEO Danny Bass.
At the same time Bass named his former GroupM colleague, Fein, as the new agency boss. Fein, who had been running Network Ten’s successful branded content division Generate since leaving Mindshare in 2014, in turn raided her former employer to take Generate’s creative director Michael Stanford as her managing director. More senior appointments are expected to be announced soon.
are IPG paying the trade press for all these articles on them?
Well.. they did sponsor the AdNews Summit. So.. yes.
This is the about the third article i have read about Ensemble and i still dont see where the agency is heading? The agency was one of the best under its previous leadership and from everything im reading there are no plans to change the focus. Nothing in this article is new – other than a bunch of new people who have all worked together in previous roles. I believe Ensemble had always been a content agency and its always worked in ‘integrated communications’ – so whats new?
Interesting article.
However, agree with curious, seems a never ending list of positive PR for Mediabrands, it seems mumbrella need to demonstrate that other agencies exist in Australia. Mediabrands is at best by size the number 5 or 6 agency in Australia, so why all the press?
Hi Jane,
Thanks for the comment.
A couple of points here – number one is we’ve written about Mediabrands (not an agency in itself but an agency group) about as much as your agency of late.
Second is how this IP only seems to have very critical things to say of Mediabrands.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
I agree with the sentiments here. But they have just lost their largest client, so you can’t blame them!
I’m interested in the last bit of this article where Mel says “so how do we globalise the Ensemble brand and take it through to other regions? That will come off the back of 12 or 18 months of great client work before we look at that.”
Haven’t Ensemble done exactly this in the past 12-18 months? That’s the confusion in the market. They were going great and creating great work – with a great eclectic mix of talent. So why the shake up? What’s actually different other than the new Chairman of Mediabrands re-connecting with a friend from a previous life?
“one of the most respected agencies in the country”?
By who?
No resignations huh?
How about redundancies then?
Of some of the industrys best integrated marketing talent.
Seems on the nose to me.
Can someone explain what the difference is from new and old ensemble? Content, integrated marketing, experiential and sponsorships. Yep got it. So the only difference is that Fein downsizes then hires all her mates?
Wow, inspiring stuff!