Independent media agency Match & Wood has been appointed by Defence Health following a competitive pitch process.
The agency will take on Defence Health’s full media remit from 1st November, bringing its brand and performance media, across offline and online channels, together under one agency for the first time.
Established in 1953 to look after the families of Australian Defence Force members and the wider Defence community, Defence Health is a not-for-profit health insurer providing cover to close to 300,000 members.
Match & Wood will lead media strategy, planning & buying across all paid channels, with a focus on understanding and reaching the fund’s niche audiences, building a test-and-learn roadmap, and linking media activity directly to member growth and business outcomes.
Defence Health delivery lead of brand and marketing Roshni Taylor said: “We wanted a strategic partner that could bring our brand and performance media together under one strategy and show us clearly what that investment is delivering. Match & Wood brought deep health insurance experience and a real understanding of our members and our business. They feel like an extension of our team, and we’re looking forward to what we can build together.”
Group director Emma Macey added: “What excites us about Defence Health is the opportunity to use the full breadth of our capability to help drive the next phase of growth for the business. By bringing together strategy, data, media and measurement, we can strengthen how Defence Health connects with its community, show up more meaningfully in the moments that matter and turn those connections into measurable growth.”
Lyndelle O’Keefe, CEO of Match & Wood, said working with Defence Health, which has helped the families of defence personnel for 70 years, is a real privilege.
“We have enormous respect for Roshni and the Defence Health team, who know their members better than anyone, and we’re excited to bring real rigour to their media, help them connect with more of the Defence community, and keep growing their membership for the long term,” O’Keefe said.
