SA Government appoints Carat Adelaide, Reprise and Wavemaker Adelaide to its media panel

The South Australian Government has appointed Carat Adelaide, Reprise and Wavemaker Adelaide to its media panel, following a detailed tender process.

The win provides Carat Adelaide the opportunity to work on the South Australian Government’s brand media campaigns. The panel will work with government clients on all activity outside of functional / non-campaign media.

Wavemaker Adelaide has strengthened its relationship with the Government of South Australia, winning a position on the brand advertising panel in addition to being appointed the sole supplier of functional advertising services and master media negotiations and reporting. Wavemaker’s appointment continues an agency-client relationship that first began in 2010 when Wavemaker (previously MEC) won the SA Government’s brand advertising account, followed by winning the functional advertising portion of the business in 2015.

This marks the second key appointment for Reprise Australia in 2019, closely following the announcement of its appointment to agency of record for Monash University. The Reprise team put forward an integrated offering to service the government account in collaboration with media agency UM, who have extensive government experience working with both the Australian Government, and NSW Government. This latest win is a clear demonstration of Reprise’s growing momentum in South Australia, since launching its Adelaide office in 2016.

Says Vikki Friscic, managing director, Carat Adelaide: “The South Australian Government tender process was extensive and thorough, and I am extremely proud of the work Carat produced throughout the tender process.

“The South Australian Government was looking for future-focused media partners who would work collaboratively with government clients. Carat is a business focused on delivering innovative solutions for our clients and working alongside them to achieve their marketing goals.

“We cannot wait to start work with government clients, and are passionate about delivering the best results possible for the people of South Australia.”

The appointment caps off a brilliant 2018 for Carat Adelaide, realising several new business wins as well as greater alignment with Carat Australia, and several other Dentsu Aegis Network brands.

Says Simon Williams, managing director, Carat ANZ: “Carat is focussed on business intelligence and market first innovation – as such, the South Australian Government is a perfect match for us. Through this extensive process, the team were fixated on disrupting legacy practices and consistently challenging ourselves to do things better and with difference.

“It is this new world approach to performance that will continue to drive progressive client partnerships. We are looking forward to announcing a couple of other client wins in the coming weeks.”

Says Jehad Ali, Department of the Premier and Cabinet Communications Director: “After a thorough and independently-evaluated tender process, I am excited by the decision to appoint three South Australian-based businesses to provide advertising media services to the South Australian Government, and congratulate Carat Adelaide, Wavemaker and Reprise on their appointments.

“In selecting a panel of agencies, we open up the opportunity for a wider range of local suppliers to be able to compete for government communications projects.

“The media landscape has changed significantly, and it was crucial we appointed agencies that could deliver contemporary media strategies to efficiently and effectively communicate with local, national and international audiences.”

Says Matt Hofmeyer, managing director, Wavemaker Adelaide: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the SA Government. Our team, led by client director Kirby McDonald, worked incredibly hard to evolve our service and we’re proud of the outstanding outcomes we’re delivering for our SA Government clients.”

Says Peter Vogel, CEO, Wavemaker Australia: “We have had a long and successful relationship with the South Australian Government, and a competitive pitch is always a good opportunity to demonstrate to a client that we are the best agency in the market to help them tackle the growing challenges in a changing landscape. We will apply all of Wavemaker’s strengths in media, content and technology to help the SA Government unlock new opportunities and achieve its goals.

“We can’t wait to get started. The win is testament to the hard work and commitment of our experienced team in Adelaide, who have fostered strong relationships across the market.”

Says Jasmin Donnellan, head of Reprise Melbourne, Perth & Adelaide: “We are incredibly excited to partner with a progressive and people focused organisation like the South Australian Government. The opportunity to scale the breadth & depth of our digital expertise within the SA market, while simultaneously providing economic, social and reputational benefits, is one we take very seriously.

“We are absolutely committed to investing our time and energy into scaling this growth market. We have already begun working with key universities to identify and upskill new talent. We will also be hiring for a state business leader focused on driving an audience-first digital strategy, with the speed and agility to capitalise on the deep audience insights that Reprise has become known for.”

Says Dr. Grace Liu, CEO Reprise Australia: “A progressive government requires a progressive approach. We strongly believe that the digitally led thinking of the Reprise/UM partnership is a timely and strategic fit for Government of South Australia, as well as an opportunity for us to extend our remit to service all of State. The symbiotic partnership between Reprise & UM provides a deep understanding and respect for our audiences, while also driving consumer curiosity and lasting change.”

Says Fiona Johnston, CEO, UM: “We are delighted with the care and confidence shown to us with this appointment. It’s a great team effort and shows how strong we can be when we join up our brilliant online and offline team thinking. We’ve had such a great experience with our family in Reprise. We look forward to doing the best we can for the South Australian Government.”