Omnicom unbundles MTN Nigeria’s marketing communications account
• As PHD West Africa warehouses media account
The suspense is finally over and the picture now clearer as to which of the Omnicom Group agencies in Nigeria will be appointed over MTN’s lucrative marketing communications account in Nigeria. The MTN account is one of the most highly coveted and juicy marketing business in the industry.
Marketing Edge can authoritatively declared that the telecommunications giant’s media business has now been warehoused with PHD West Africa, an Omnicom affiliated media agency in Nigeria. The agency which recently appointed Dozie Okafor, former Media Manager at Coca-Cola West Africa to fill its vacant Managing Director position, it was gathered has already started working on the account.
Meanwhile, the creative account which was the subject of intense industry speculation has been unbundled also and now shared among the three creative agencies affiliated with Omnicom, namely DDB Lagos, which is the incumbent agency, Redbrick and TBWA Concept, which was the first MTN agency in Nigeria. The agency lost the account to DDB Lagos after a pitch process inabout 10 years ago.
Managing Director and CEO of TBWA Concept Kelechi Nwosu, while conceding that his agency will be on MTN’s advertising agency roster, refused to be drawn into commenting on the account. “The MTN account was won by Omnicom and they have brought together the Omnicom agencies to service the account. I think at the right time we’ll have a press release. Let just leave it at that. Let us get on it and then I’ll give you fuller details,” he said.
MARKETING EDGE have observed that the affected agencies have begun retooling and equipping themselves with relevant competences necessary to deliver on client’s usually high expectations. PHD we gathered is aggressively recruiting for talents within the industry and the recall of Dozie, who once worked for the agency, before joining Coca-Cola, is part of this process.
It is not clear what the size of MTN’s media account is, but media monitoring agencies have maintained that MTN is one of the biggest spenders in the industry, and this new acquisition effectively puts PHD in the elite club as one of the biggest media agencies in the country.
However, PHD and all the other Omnicom agencies in Nigeria may not bother about strategy for the rest of the year, they are expected to work in line with the company’s existing media strategy and will only come up with fresh media plans next year.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Comment
No comments found.