Vodafone confirms move from Host to Ogilvy – retrenchments likely says Anthony Freedman
Vodafone has confirmed that it has appointed Ogilvy Sydney as its creative agency – without a pitch – as revealed exclusively by Campaign Brief last night.
Says Jana Kotatko, General Manager of Brand and Communications at Vodafone: “As part of a number of commercial efficiency measures, we have taken the decision to appoint Ogilvy Sydney as our creative agency.
“WPP is a partner of Vodafone worldwide, and we look forward to working side-by-side with STW and Ogilvy Sydney to bring a centralised and consistent focus across brand and communications at Vodafone.
“We would like to thank Host, an extraordinary creative agency who has been an incredible partner for Vodafone over the last two years.”
Says Host CEO Anthony Freedman (pictured): “It’s disappointing to see a client loss as a result of a global alignment but I doubt we will be the last agency to see business lost under these circumstances.
“It is unlikely that we will absorb the loss of Vodafone without some implications for our team but the extent of this is not yet clear. Fortunately we have had several recent new business wins which will allow us to redeploy people.
“Vodafone has a reputation for being a tough client and in many ways this is true. But there are some great people over there who we have very much enjoyed working with, and we wish them all the very best.“
22 Comments
Is there a worse Client in Sydney than Vodafone?
After reading the last para, the PR shot makes sense to me…
Nice attempt at Spin by Host, but the reason for moving cant have been to do with realignment – didnt they move the NZ business to FCB last week?
he looks stoked!
Worst client in Australia. Hands down.
It is always a client’s prerogative to work with which ever agency they like – BUT the way some marketers are treating their communication partners these days is disgusting.
How can companies expect to get the best from their major suppliers with this sort of treatment?
I’d love to see the tables turned more often ……”By the way Mr. Client, I know we’ve been working together happily for x years, and you’re relying on us to get this campaign out next week, BUT another marketer has approached us (because they love the great work we’ve done for you), and they are going to pay us more money, they actually have a clue about marketing, so see you around, get someone else to do the work for next week!!”
Imagine the furore ……. yet marketers do it to agencies ALL the time, and rarely get a slap over the knuckles by the press. It seems to be accepted that this poor business practice is OK in agency/marketer relationships. Well it’s not. Poor form, bad manners and unfair treatment should not be accepted. YES I know George Patt’s did it way back then, but generally agencies treat their clients with far, far more respect than marketers treat their agencies. I know a lot of agencies, and I don’t know many that deserve this kind of treatment.
Time for agencies to fight back!!
PS – I am not putting all clients in this box, there are great ones out there – but way too many marketers find this poor treatment of agencies acceptable practice these days.
Host can add this to their list of ‘Wins’ for 2012.
Vodafone Australia, via most of the old 3 marketing team, have taken a well-loved international brand and reduced it to a laughing stock in just a few short years.
Ogilvy are well versed in picking up huge, shit clients and pumping out huge amounts of shit work for them, so I wish them the best of luck with this pile of mediocre know-nothings.
Terrible, terrible product (I know – I use it and hate it), awful nonsensical brand and now the worst major agency in Australia. Tick Tick Tick
The 3 worst clients in Australia.
Dominos
Foxtel
Vodafail
Not only do they treat their agencies like second class citizens, they all have some very nasty people at the helm who encourage their underlings (mostly spotty faced marketing grads) to do the same.
Yet agencies put their staff through hell and bow and scrape just to keep them.
They are toxic clients but are so big that agency chiefs do whatever it takes to woo them.
I’m Moulting!
What host did to BBDO and their client Virgin, has now been done to them. What comes around, goes around.
The trifecta from marketing hell,
Dominos
Vodafone
Foxtel
Interesting that they all get the work they deserve.
I had the misfortune of working on the 3 mobile brand and then the Vodafone brand during the merger. They treated the agency like crap. No respect at all, didn’t listen to recommendations and just wanted a production house that could execute their ideas. The problem is agencies will always take them on as a client because someone somewhere needs the $.
If ever a brand and an agency deserved one another . . .
I used to work on Domino’s.
They had an absolutely horrible marketing department.
God, adding Vodafone to that as well, I wouldn’t want to be at Ogilvy.
Vodafone is the worst client I ever worked on. Rude, arrogant and dumb. Quite the mix, no?
It was absolute hell.
I could not think of an Agency or Client relationship with stronger synergy . It’s a marriage for life – here’s hoping you both enjoy ripping each other off.
Vodafone bad clients. Domino’s worst ever clients.
I never worked for Ogilvy, nor on Vodafone in a distinguished career spanning 30-odd years. One thing’s abundantly clear, however. Advertising is a cunt of a business despite its wafer-thin veneer of coolness, and the clients and agencies who get into bed with each other are mutually interdependent whores. The poo that comes out the other end is proof of it.
Have fun, suckers.
Cant see the forest from the trees. Things change guys- the NBN and 4G challenges may invigorate the Vodafone team.
A marriage made in Hell.
Dear been there,
I’ve only been ‘Lucky’ enough to work on Domino’s and Foxtel.
If Vodafone is anything like those two organisations I would suggest the good folk at Host will be partying hard this evening!
how great is this forum.. what would we do without CB to help make sense it all. absolutely, this pairing seems a marriage in heaven (as they ride down the highway to hell!). Host, you’ve acted with integrity & you mightn’t say as much but I agree with 2 out of 3 & hope you guys kick-up your heels & celebrate the blood, sweat & tears you’ve poured into this account. Onwards & upwards, you deserve better.