Award-winning sports marketing leaders, Steve Martin and Jamie Wynne-Morgan, have joined MSQ to launch a new global sports marketing agency with “creativity at its heart” and an ambitious acquisition strategy.
The new global agency will use “the power of sport and entertainment to create deeper connections for brands, talent and rights holders”. Its services include sponsorship strategy and activation, social content strategy and production, PR and communications, live experiential events and talent management.
The agency will be powered by a proprietary data and insight tool developed by MSQ’s insights agency, Freemavens, called TRIBES, which “uses analytics to harness and map digital conversations, content, and curiosity at the pace of culture”.
Martin and Wynne-Morgan will be working alongside MSQ executive director, Kate Howe, to bring the agency vision to life. The pair are already eyeing global expansion with Australia one of its top targets.
Callaway Golf has signed up as a foundation client for strategic consultancy services with more to be announced in the coming weeks.
The duo set up M&C Sports & Entertainment in 2004 and grew it to become a global giant in the sports and entertainment marketing space, winning Agency of the Year a record seven times at the prestigious FEVO Sport Industry awards.
They left M&C Saatchi Group last year in order to begin a new venture, but had no immediate plans for how that might take shape.
Martin, a keen golfer who is used to taking calculated risks from sticky situations, told B&T the pair had considered several opportunities, but chose MSQ because it had a range of complimentary services and serious private equity backing.
“We want to do something a bit differently with proper investment behind it because I think there’s an opportunity in the sport and agency world to consolidate a bit more, especially around that creative proposition that we’re known for,” Martin said.
“It’s not just about building an organic agency, we also want to build a group. We felt that joining MSQ – which has 11 agencies across the range of marketing, data and technology – as well as being equity partners with private equity backing meant that we can build a new agency faster that some of the other groups out there.”
Why MSQ?
MSQ is a creative, technology and media company that has 11 agency brands, 1,200 employees and operates in 13 different markets.
Its agency brands include the media agency Walk-In Media, the creative agency The Gate, the production studio Brave Spark, the branding and design studio Elmwood and the PR agency Smarts. Its clients include Unilever, Vodafone, The AA, Vitality, Coca-Cola and Zalando.
In 2023, it was acquired by One Equity Partners. Nearly 100 senior employees in the B-Corp certified group are shareholders, which is unusual for a company of its size in this industry.
Martin said the equity structure within the MSQ group should allow MSQ Sport + Entertainment to attract the leading sports and entertainment marketing talent, and lure other independent agencies into the fold.
“There’s a lot of very good independent agencies, particularly in the creative space, whether they’re 30 to 40 people that are looking to go to that next journey. They might want to go global and enter other international markets. I think our experience can help with that.”
The Trojan Horse
Martin believes that creativity will be the “Trojan horse” that sets MSQ Sport + Entertainment apart from its competitive set, and while the industry has focused a lot on data and technology in recent years, creativity will be the next big phase.
Martin, who spent more than two years living in Sydney to help establish M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment in Australia, said MSQ Sport + Entertainment will be looking to expand Down Under.
“I’ve always been impressed by the Australian market. It really punches way above its weight when you think about the investment in sport and entertainment popular culture,” he said. “There are four to five really good agencies in Australia and there is a really good opportunity to consolidate a bit, and create something quite fresh.”
Aussie Expansion
Although initially launching in the UK, Australia, the US and Europe are high on the list of markets that MSQ Sports + Entertainment would like to expand.
“By building from the ground-up and with investment for exciting acquisitions, we can create a dynamic global agency that is truly reflective of the current and future opportunities in the ever-evolving sport and entertainment industry,” Wynne-Morgan said.
“Technology will be integrated into our offering to intelligently accelerate insights, understanding and approaches to enhance the skills of our team, by working closely with the best minds and tools in this space within MSQ.”
MSQ Global CEO Peter Reid said the group had been targeting a sports and entertainment offering for some time.
“[Steve and Jamie] are two of the industry’s leading operators with a significant global track-record operating in an experience-driven space that is increasingly attracting greater consumer spend,” he said.
“We are thrilled to be working with them to create an agency that builds authentic connections between brands and cultural trends that are expressed through sport and entertainment.”
