Agency of the year – The Brand Agency FOUR significant achievements by The Brand Agency last year catapulted the business ahead of its competitors, according to The Brand Agency chairman Ken James.
The 2004 Oasis Ball and Campaign Brief Awards is one of the advertising industry’s big nights.
A record number of people from the advertising, marketing and public relations industries were on hand – 620 all up – for the awards night, which also raises money for the Salvation Army.
Now in its ninth year the event has raised more than $900,000 for the charity, of which about $130,000 came from the March 5 Oasis Ball held at the Burswood Resort Casino.
This week WA Business News congratulates the winners in the 2004 Campaign Brief Awards, as Julie-anne Sprague reports.
Agency of the year – The Brand Agency
FOUR significant achievements by The Brand Agency last year catapulted the business ahead of its competitors, according to The Brand Agency chairman Ken James.
Mr James cites an increase in revenue and billings, an increase in the size of its offices in Perth, Melbourne and Auckland, outstanding creative work, and the investment by John Singleton’s STW Communications as key drivers for the agency’s success last year.
“For the past 18 months we have been consolidating and our clients have grown,” Mr James said.
The Brand Agency lost the Western Power account to 303 last year but, overall, existing business and the addition of smaller accounts boosted its bottom line.
“We’re $4 million ahead in terms of revenue growth against our nearest competitor which is Marketforce,” he said.
Revenue in 2003 was $18.6 million and billings $110 million.
And 2004 will mark an aggressive year for The Brand Agency .
Mr James told WA Business News the agency would grow nationally, and it would grow in Perth.
“We are openly looking for new business in all markets but predominantly Perth,” he said.
“And no, there are not much new accounts out there.”
Creatively the agency had an award-winning year.
The Campaign Brief judges selected The Brand Agency for the agency of the year over runner up 303 Advertising, based on The Brand’s creative work in 2003.
The Brand Agency was a finalist in five categories of the prestigious national AWARD Awards, a record number for any Perth agency.
The Brand Agency won two bronze AWARD Awards – one for the Department of Community and Development for ‘Shaken Baby’, which also won best television commercial at the Campaign Brief Awards, and the Bunnings ‘Pub’ radio advertisement, which won the AWARD radio category. It also won the Campaign Brief best radio commercial, while The Brand also took home the best radio campaign award for its work with the Bunnings group.
It also won three national Australian Advertising Federation Effectiveness Awards.
“For years we have had a reputation as a strong performing agency with good ads. Now we have a creative yet strong, strategically sound business,” Mr James said.
“We have been working on improving the creative product for the past four to five years. We’ve had people like Dale Simmonds and Chris Swift. And we’ve given our exiting people better opportunities.”
New business growth for The Brand included winning the Toyota dealership in Victoria, The Fremantle Dockers, and RentSmart accounts.
Mr James said bringing major east coast investment back to Perth was the result of several months of serious negotiations held with two large eastern States agencies last year.
Mr James opted for a deal with John Singleton’s STW Communications, which also has 67 per cent stake in Singleton Ogilvy & Mather and a 49 per cent holding of J Walter Thompson.
“I spent four months negotiating the STW deal and that was an achievement because I negotiated no involvement by STW,” Mr James said.
“They’ve got a 49 per cent share and have two
