Baxter confirms UM ‘won’t be entering media agency awards anymore’
Baxter
The CEO of UM has confirmed the agency will no longer be entering Media Agency of the Year awards after repositioning as a “creative connections agency”, as revealed by Mumbrella yesterday.
“Given our new positioning we don’t feel that benchmarking ourselves with media agencies is particularly meaningful or useful,” Mat Baxter told Mumbrella this morning.
“That’s why we won’t be entering media agency of the year awards.”
Yesterday Baxter said “media agencies aren’t our competitors” as he cited a number of digital and PR focussed agencies as their new competitive set.
Responding to commenters’ questions under the article as to why UM had entered the AdNews Awards in the media agency category Baxter wrote: “We entered these awards for our performance over the past 12 months and before our new positioning was launched.
“Moving forward we will no longer be entering ‘Media Agency of the Year’ awards.”
While Baxter said the agency would no longer focus on media agency awards he did leave the door open to entering broader “media awards”, which focused on “excellence and effectiveness in communications strategy.”
“We will still be entering our work into relevant award categories to ensure we continue to benchmark our work against the wider industry. This includes “media” awards that recognise excellence and effectiveness in communications strategy.”
Baxter also addressed other questions over the agency’s new position from critics noting that UM would still going to be lining up for media agency pitches.
“Of course we will continue to tender for media pitches,” he said. “But will be challenging clients during the process to reimagine what media really is and the role that we can play beyond paid media within their business.”
Asked if he felt the categories for awards in Australia place too much emphasis on paid media Baxter responded: “Yes. Most of the major award shows still categorise categories by channel and these channels are primarily in the paid media space.”
Nic Christensen
Maybe enter the Reimagining Media Awards
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So they won’t enter media awards, but they will enter media pitches?! Will they withdraw from the MFA?
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Good on you Matt and UM… The Agency awards are not worth anything anyway. I worked client side and can tell you we don’t benchmark an agency by the size of their trophy cabinet….
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“creative connections agency”
– A funky 2015 term, for Media agency.
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Assuming that this re-positioning allows for the retention of traditional paid-for media buying within UM’s suite of services, does this mean that Mat will resign any client that wishes to have said service benchmarked against other media agencies?
Still feels like more smoke and mirrors to me……
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Does it matter – good luck to them
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My point too Charlie. Don’t enter Media pitches and really set yourself apart while waiting for PR Stunt pitches to come your way.
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This is marketing folks. This is also one of the reasons UM has dominated the media scene over the last few years. Well done Mat, challenging and changing the game isn’t easy – you’re doing it brilliantly.
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What bollocks Adam F, this is vacuous spin and nothing else. As challenging or changing the game? Please! It’s just a Star Wars edition of Monopoly: same game, sillier pieces.
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If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its probably a duck
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#8 I’m not sure Mat is challenging and changing the game as much as he’s simply engaging in word play.
I would put it to you that the only thing he’s doing is trying to own hyperbole. Style over Substance
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the first rule of good promotion is create impact. It starts with differentiation. It doesn’t matter if its smoke and mirrors, especially in category with a parity offering. good luck
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The only measurements that has ever counted in media/ agencies/ clients is that based on pre established KPI’s the client achieves results that are tangible. Sales, brand awareness, staff feedback etc. Everything is about that mantra. awards are for agency cabinets and creative directors with ego’s as large as their pay packets!!!
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Great to see leadership taking a step forward for the industry. Also great to see a CEO brave enough to have an open discussion. Awesome.
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NIce work Matt. The awards count for very little in the long run and its good to someone from the big end of town trying to move the industry in a positive direction.
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Does this repositioning relate to what happened with MediaCom trading and reporting, ie are UM distancing themselves from something similar?
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Of course they want to move away from traditional paid media its where they make the most money.
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