KEY POINTS:
Advertising giant The Clemenger Group has answered the call from Vodafone and hung up on its longtime client Telecom.
Vodafone New Zealand yesterday awarded its advertising account to Clemenger-owned agencies Colenso BBDO for brand advertising, Colenso 99 for retail advertising and Aim Proximity for direct marketing.
Clemenger and parent company the Omnicom Group control a big part of the New Zealand advertising business and have further entrenched their place with the Vodafone win.
In the telco world Vodafone's move to Clemenger-owned direct marketing agency Aim Proximity is particularly significant.
Direct marketing uses methods like letter box campaigns and email. Aim Proximity has given its biggest client Telecom three months' notice that it is going over to its arch-competitor.
And it will leave with an intimate understanding of Telecom's future marketing strategy.
Telecom's next move now is unclear.
The Vodafone move follows Vodafone's decision to drop its longtime ad agency Lowe, although it does not include its estimated $20 million of spending on media which will stay with Spark PHD, which is a part of Omnicom. All the same, it is a significant win for Colenso BBDO, which has recovered from account losses and the departure of key creatives three years ago.
Vodafone does most of its advertising globally though international giant JWT Advertising, but used Lowe in this country.
After dumping Lowe, Vodafone had tossed up between Clemenger and a partnership between the local offices of JWT and retail-focused agency Ogilvy.
In the past two years Telecom's main advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi - helped by Aim Proximity marketing promotions - has improved the brand and resurrected its strength in the mobile market.
In contrast, Vodafone has increasingly turned away from big budget local branding campaigns and focused on specific retail offers.
