AGL appoints McCann Melbourne to handle media following success of creative work

McCann Melbourne has confirmed that AGL Energy Limited (AGL) will move its media account to McCann following the successful transition of AGL’s creative work at the start of the year.

As part of an organisation-wide focus on improving productivity, AGL has worked with McCann to develop an integrated team that will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its advertising spend.   

The new agreement tops a successful 12 months in which McCann has focused on integrating media into the agency’s full-service offering. McCann has also picked up media responsibilities for Melbourne Airport, Melbourne University (brand) and two soon-to-be-announced clients, as well as key tactical media campaigns for BIC and 
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Says Mark Brownfield, general manager of marketing and retail customers, AGL: “Our customers’ needs and media consumption habits are rapidly changing and we felt it was time for a fresh set of eyes to look at our business. McCann’s integrated proposition is compelling and we are genuinely excited about what we can achieve together.”

Says Adrian Mills (left), managing director, McCann Melbourne: “To see creative, media and digital teams working together and delivering integrated, intelligent and client-focused responses, is an absolute delight. Most excitingly, not only are we now able to present and execute an integrated response, with the combined resources of McCann and UM, we have enough data to accurately predict response rates and in some cases, the incremental margin after marketing.”

Says David Phillips, head of strategy and media, McCann Melbourne: “We’re delighted that the work we’ve put into building the right integrated approach to optimise our clients’ creative and media investments is paying off. Our approach not only ensures efficiency of spend and enhanced accountability, but it also enables our clients to spend less time project managing agencies, and more time thinking strategically about their organisation’s marketing challenges.”

The appointment comes on the back of a range of senior hires at McCann that include Anita Deutsch as Executive Director, Matt Lawson as Creative Director and Ross Dougall as Senior Strategist.

McCann will be managing all campaign planning, media strategy and optimization, with backend buying handled by IPG partner agency UM. 

Nielsen estimates the main media spend for AGL in the year to June 2015 at $15.7m.