Following a challenging 2022, Starcom conducted a thorough review of its performance, leadership structure and culture to rest and recharge the business for a breakout 2023 season.

The agency, aptly led by captain Nick Keenan, rolled out a “people powered growth” agenda that trained all of its team in omni-channel planning while instilling the values of “fearless growth”, “demand diversity”, “friction creates power” and “never walk alone”.

The agency took steps to redesign its organisational structure by creating an operations department and promoting MVP Louise Romeo to chief operating officer. It also launched a specialist team to focus on the martech integration into paid media, while refining its planning product.   

Much like a famous football club in Liverpool that shares Starcom’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” mantra (and also had a poor 2022), a cultural and structural overhaul paid dividends in 2023. 

Starcom rocketed up the COMvergence performance rankings to finish second, only behind stablemate Zenith. It’s quite a remarkable feat for an agency that had struggled to grow billings – hovering around the $229 million mark. 

Starcom’s success saw the agency pick up and retain several important accounts. These include Metcash (the parent company of retailers IGA, Mitre 10, Home Hardware and others), Subaru, Miele and Bega. 

The cherry on top was winning the TPG Telecoms account from Wavemaker, adding Vodafone, TPG and iinet into its fold. In 2023, Starcom added $33 million in new billings and retained $52 million, while avoiding any losses.

The agency also works with large accounts including P&G, Visa, Bega and Tourism Tasmania.

Starcom also displayed global innovation by creating a ‘connected platform’ for its client Miele that integrates data; paid and direct media; and consumer experiences into a ‘seamless journey’. This helped the company create a global first ‘Miele ID’, which identified new customers and delivered effective communications that significantly improved its cost per lead and return on ad spend.

Starcom Australia’s innovation helped the agency network win Miele’s global media account. This neatly illustrates a reborn agency that is kicking plenty of goals.