Belgiovane Williams Mackay (BWM) has created a specialist Asset Sale and initial public offering (IPO) Marketing Unit to service the significant divestment of Commonwealth and State Government assets planned for the next two years.
“Financial transactions of the scale and complexity planned and underway require a specialist marketing and advertising approach,” group CEO Paul Williams said.
“The financial stakes are simply too high for sales processes, particularly those via initial public offerings, to be hampered by ineffectual or non-compliant marketing.
“Sales teams in investment banks, and in government finance agencies, are looking for advertising and communications firms who know the rules of the game, and more importantly, know how to create effective marketing campaigns within market guidelines.
“It is a unique skill set. Not many agencies have it and we want to make sure we are a turn-key solution for any asset sales team,” Williams said.
The Federal Government is leading the way with the sale of Medibank Private and slated sales of Defence Housing Australia and the ASIC Registry business.
Finance Minister Senator Mathias Cormann announced this week BWM had been appointed as advertising agency for the sale of the Australian Government owned Medibank Private Limited.
“Treasurer Joe Hockey’s incentives to encourage State Governments to recycle their public assets seems to be having an effect, with major asset sales planned in NSW and Queensland,” Mr Williams said.
The Asset Sale and IPO Marketing Unit is jointly led by Mr Williams and BWM Melbourne Managing Director Mark Watkin.
Mr Williams is a pioneer of the role of sophisticated marketing in Government asset sales. In 1993 he led the advertising team for the $2.2 billion sale of the NSW Government’s insurance business GIO.
Mark Watkin led the team that won the tender for the marketing of the third tranche of Telstra shares, an $8 billion IPO.