WPP launches stakeholder and community engagement agency, The Bond & Associates
WPP, one of the world’s biggest marketing groups, has launched a new stakeholder and community engagement agency, The Bond & Associates which will service the group’s government and private sector clients.
Former associate partner of Newgate Communications, Gail Morgan, has been appointed as The Bond & Associates’ national director.
Morgan joins the agency as national director
The Bond & Associates will draw on talent from across WPP’s various agencies – which include PPR, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Burson Cohn & Wolfe and Kantar – to provide clients with research, data, policy, communication and engagement, government sector expertise and digital and social media professionals.
WPP’s new agency’s offerings include consumer research, data, analysis, community and influencer stakeholder engagement, policy development, PR, government relations, social media campaigns and organisational capability building.
Morgan said clients in the government and private sector are looking for better and more sophisticated engagement strategies.
“I believe the ability to tap into the vast pool of talent, insights and experience of the Group for the benefit of our clients will be compelling. Stakeholder and community engagement has never been more important and from my experience.
“This not only improves community outcomes but is critical for private sector and government investment success.”
The Bond & Associates’s offerings
Kieran Moore, CEO of WPP AUNZ PR and public affairs, said the agency was designed to give clients one point of access.
“We understand that our clients are navigating increasingly complex operating environments. Dealing with three, four or more agencies in different locations to deliver the communications required for these projects is now a thing of the past.
“The Bond & Associates has been designed to give clients one point of access to the breadth of capabilities and services needed to engage effectively, without adding complexity to the agency management process.
“With unprecedented infrastructure spending across the country and greater focus expected on service and policy delivery in the future, the demand is already high with further growth in this sector expected.
“Teamed with an increased understanding by all governments of the critical influence stakeholders can play on policy and service delivery, the time is right for us to create a competitive offer in this space, for the current and future requirements of clients.”
Last week WPP retained the global advertising, media and PR account for multinational oil and gas company BP, creating a bespoke offering called Team Energy to service the account.
Team Energy combines talent from across WPP agencies including Mindshare, Grey, Landor, VML, SocialLabs, Essence and Ogilvy.
Earlier in the month, WPP’s PR arm won the Telstra consumer account creating a “tailored team” to handle the new account.
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