AUCKLAND, Today: Countdown will be moving its media strategy, planning and buying to Dentsu media agency Carat, effective from September.
The incumbent was Stanley St. At press time, it was unclear if there was a pitch, or if this was a direct appointment.
The Countdown switch follows a similar path to that of Foodstuffs, which last week awarded its media agency business to PHD Media (from FCB Media).
Countdown brand GM Sally Copland said: “Kiwis are communicating with businesses in completely different ways than they used to, and it’s important to us that we keep pushing ourselves to stay relevant and interesting for our customers, no matter how they want to engage with us.
“Stanley St (and before them Ogilvy) has played a critical role in supplying media services to our business for over 20 years, and I’m proud that we have achieved a huge amount together over this time.
“Countdown creative remains with Greenhouse – the bespoke NZ agency the brand created with M&C Saatchi.”
“It’s been a tough decision to make this change and we are enormously grateful for the passion and dedication the Stanley St team has shown our business.
“We’re excited now to work with the Carat team – Carat has proven expertise across the media landscape, but are also widely respected for their collaborative approach and talented team.
Countdown creative remains with Greenhouse – the bespoke NZ agency created by Countdown and M&C Saatchi, when M&C closed its business in NZ.
“We’re looking forward to bringing these skills to our Countdown business, together with our creative agency Greenhouse NZ.”
DAN NZ ceo Robert Harvey said: “We are really excited about Countdown’s commitment to innovation in media to accelerate the growth of their business in the digital economy.”
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