Agency of Record Shifts You Should Know About, Especially If You’re A Media Seller

Agency shifts are an important signal for media and marketing sales professionals. For starters, they often indicate the launch of a new campaign, and with new ads comes increased ad spend. You also see agency hires occur among struggling brands – the brands that have exercised all options to get consumers to pay attention to them, so they pour their remaining ad budget into a agency that they hope will save them.

Additionally, they often set off a domino effect of other agency hires. For example, (and I know I’ve said this before) media agency hires are typically followed by creative and vice versa.

So, now that we’ve established all the reasons you should pay attention to agency hires, here’s a few recent ones you should be keeping a close eye on (especially if you’re looking to secure upcoming ad buys – I’m talking to you media sellers).

1. ) Tommy Bahama, the brand behind your dad’s beach outfits, hired Untitled Worldwide as their agency of record (AOR), to work alongside the retailers in-house creative and marketing departments. The agency’s first work for the brand is set to debut this spring, in celebration of the retailer’s 25th anniversary. It will run across print, digital, broadcast and retail channels.

This means that sellers should be reaching out right now to seek any last minute ad buys for the spring campaign. However, Tommy Bahama’s marketing spend is typically high during the winter holidays, so continue reaching out through spring and summer.

Find brand and agency contacts for Tommy Bahama here.

2.) Yuengling, you know, the beer brand, has tapped Laughlin Constable as its new creative AOR following a review. Laughlin is tasked with creating a multiyear creative platform for the brand that will include video, audio, social media, out-of-home, print and in-store and retail elements. And, according to a spokesperson for Yuengling, the appointment won’t affect incumbent Allen & Gerritsen, as the shop will remain on the brands roster on a project-by-project basis.

There is no word yet of when the new shop’s work will debut for the brand, but it’s beer, so my best guess is going to be Summer or Fall. Therefore, start engaging now to get ahead of it.

Find Yuengling’s brand and agency contacts here.

3.) Dish Network‘s Sling TV has just named The Martin Agency as its new AOR, where they will handle strategic planning, creative development and production efforts. And, no surprise here, the agency has already debuted its first work for the brand with its “We Are Slingers” campaign.

This means that ad dollars tied to the new work could be available as it continues to roll out. So, sellers that can reach Sling’s millennial demographic should be reaching out right now to see what revenue they can secure. Also, keep in mind that as millennials continue watching TV through online streaming services, brands like Sling will likely continue to invest in ads to compete with powerhouses like Hulu and Netflix.

Find brand and agency contacts for Sling TV here.

4.) Campbell Soup Co. has selected Publicis Groupe to handle creative and media for Campbell’s flagship soup, Chunky, Well Yes!, V8, Pace, Prego, Swanson and Spaghetti-O’s following a review.

If you didn’t know this, soup brands typically advertise the most in fall and winter months, which means that right now is likely Campbell’s peak planning period for these brands. So, with a new agency on the roster, sellers should be reaching out now to be top of mind with the new shop as they begin planning upcoming campaigns.

Find Campbell Soup Co. brand and agency contact information here.

5.) Pizza Hut, unlike the previous four brands, has just ended its relationship with Droga5 – its fifth AOR in six years. According to a spokesperson, the new “Official Pizza of the NFL” will issue an RFP for creative services soon. This means that creative agencies with pizza and/or fast food experience should start planning their pitches and getting on Pizza Hut’s radar now.

Additionally, with no agency selected, there is no set date of when a new campaign will drop, but, like I said before, as the official pizza sponsor for the NFL, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pizza Hut was trying to get things together before football season kicks off in the fall.

Find decision maker contact information for Pizza Hut here.

So there you have it. Five agency shifts that will likely give way to new campaigns, additional agency hires, and the appointment of other strategic partners, like adtech vendors and sponsorship organizations. You know what’s even better? These stories are just five of the thousands our prospecting publication WinmoEdge reports on. Imagine having all of those shifts at your fingertips – plus verified contact information.

So, if you want to read more about these opportunities or find tons more like them (why wouldn’t you), you can request your free trial of Winmo today!