Tabcorp has appointed Dentsu to lead its media planning and buying activity after a closed agency review that began at the start of the year. The move brings to an end Tabcorp’s relationship with OMD, which has lasted nearly 30 years.
Tabcorp is the largest Australian owned racing, sports and wagering entertainment company and operates wagering brand TAB, Sky Racing and MAX, which provides gaming integrity and technical services to venues across Australia.
Tabcorp general manager of marketing Kent Madders said Dentsu’s innovative approach to partnering with its clients will be critical in a changing market.
“Dentsu has a long history of working with and helping some of Australia’s biggest brands grow across a broad range of industries, including gaming, and we’re really excited by what we can build together,’’ he said.
“Through the pitch process, we were impressed with the strategic approach Dentsu presented to not only navigating the changing advertising landscape within wagering over the coming months and years, but also to enhance Tabcorp’s brand positioning in the market.
“We were also particularly excited by Dentsu’s technology and automation capabilities, as we look to further optimise our media strategy to deliver more personalised communications and experiences for our customers.”
Tabcorp is a significant win for Dentsu and its new media practice lead Chris Ernst. The business would be one of the larger media accounts in the Dentsu stable after Woolworths.
On the Tabcorp success, Ernst said: “We’re delighted to partner with Tabcorp on its next chapter of growth. The strong alignment between our teams was clear from the outset, as was the potential to bring our strategic capabilities to life together at scale. We cannot wait to get started.”
Recently, Dentsu folded its media agency brands Carat and iProspect into a Dentsu master brand, led by Ernst, in a move that saw several leaders depart.
Tabcorp’s selection of Dentsu brings to an end its long-term relationship with OMD.
“OMD’s contribution to Tabcorp over a long period of time cannot be understated. They have been by our side through many great sport and racing moments and helped us adapt and grow through the ever changing wagering media landscape. We thank them for their support, professionalism and expertise,” Madders said.
Tabcorp is present in more than 3,500 retail venues in pubs and clubs nationally, while Sky Racing broadcasts more than 150,000 live races annually into more than one million homes across three channels on Foxtel, as well as more than 60 countries globally and into retail venues.
It also owns the domestic and international broadcast rights for the Melbourne Cup Carnival and has multiple integrations with Nine’s Cup coverage and Seven’s horse racing coverage, including the TAB Everest.
It is the latest in a series of high profile media reviews that have come to a conclusion in the past week, including Asahi (won by Mindshare) and Samsung (tipped to move to Publicis Grpupe).
