SBS creative and media account out for tender

SBS has put its full-service media and creative account out to tender, with a number of agencies asked to participate in an invite-only pitch process.

The first round of submissions are due at the end of the month, and it is understood the nine-year incumbent Razor Group is set to defend the key account.

The Razor Group’s creative agency Joy currently manages the SBS creative account while Razor handles the media side.

SBS Group marketing manager, Katherine Raskob said in a statement: “Like most other Australian media companies, SBS has grown and evolved over the past few years as the media landscape has changed in significant ways.  We’ve increased our internal resources and capabilities in creative; social media; publicity and brand-focussed marketing in response to those changes in the media environment.

“It’s now time to take stock of our marketing agency partnerships and consider our needs for today and into the future. To that end we decided to go to market to pitch for a media and creative agency resource.We are currently in the first stages of a pitch process.  We’ve reviewed the marketplace and made a list of agencies that we think may suit our requirements and have asked those agencies to present their credentials by the end of January.  From there, we will shortlist a number of agencies for further consideration.”

“Our current agency, The Razor Group (including JOY), with whom we have enjoyed a successful relationship over the past nine years, have naturally been invited to participate,” said Raskob.

At the end of last year, the network was forced to delay the broadcast of its heavily promoted new documentary series ‘Once Upon a Time in Punchbowl’ following reports one of the show’s lead characters had lied about his criminal past.