UM, PHD and Nunn Media were Australia’s top-performing agencies for new business in 2024, B&T can reveal. At the group level, there was a big shift as GroupM bested Omnicom Media Group with US$210 million (AU$333 million) in new business—more on that below.
IPG-owned UM topped the pile in COMvergence’s New Business Barometer for total new business in 2024 thanks in large part through the retention of the Federal Government’s Master Media Account—valued at US$136 million (AU$215 million at today’s rate).
Anathea Ruys, CEO of UM, told B&T the work was a “testament” to its work over the last year.
“In an increasingly challenging market and tightening of budgets, UM’s recognition as the top-performing agency in COMvergence’s 2024 New Business Barometer is testament to our relentless focus on client success, innovation, and strategic agility. Retaining the Australian Federal Government media account, alongside continued organic growth, underscores the strength of our business partnerships and the deep trust our clients place in us.
“Despite economic headwinds, UM’s robust new business pipeline and ability to deliver transformative media solutions have ensured we remain a driving force in the industry. This achievement not only echoes UM’s Full Colour Media proposition – built on the philosophy that media should reflect the full spectrum of human experience, ensuring brands connect with audiences in a more authentic, engaging, and effective way – but also the exceptional talent and dedication of our team.
“We remain committed to setting the benchmark for media excellence in Australia,” she said.
Omnicom’s PHD, meanwhile, notched US$95 million (AU$150 million) in new accounts picking up the Asahi Group and its retention of the Volkswagen Group.
“2024 wasn’t the easiest year for anyone – ranking number two in new business is a testament to the hard work of the entire team. The momentum we’ve built here at PHD reflects the confidence clients have in our team and the impact we’re delivering. We’re just getting started,” Mark Jarrett, CEO, PHD told B&T.
Meanwhile, Nunn Media, the top-performing independent agency, placed third for total new business thanks to its Spotlight Retail Group win—worth US$55 million (AU$87 million).
“It is really encouraging to see that the consistency of what we do for our clients day-in and day-out, grounded in our ‘Relevance is Everything’ positioning, is resonating with a growing number of marketers.” Chris Walton, Nunn Media’s Sydney managing director told B&T.
EssenceMediacom, B&T’s Media Agency of the Year, notched US$51 million (AU$80 million) in total new billings.
It had retentions worth US$51 million (AU$80 million) and new wins worth US$34 million (AU$54 million). Were it not for the US$34 million (AU$54 million) it lost in billings, it would have placed third overall.
Its big wins were the Queensland Government US$51 million (AU$80 million) and Specsavers US$34 million (AU$54 million).
It wasn’t all rosy for everyone, however. COMvergence reports that a number of big six agencies, including IPG’s Initiative thanks to its Amazon loss to GroupM, went backwards.
Needless to say, all of these numbers will be taken into account as part of B&T’s Agency Scorecards.
Net New Business
The net new business winners (i.e. excluding retentions) paints a slightly different picture. Nunn Media moves into the top spot with US$58 million in net new business wins but overall wins totalling US$75 million (AU$119 million).
Atomic 212° finished second, netting US$50 million (AU$79 million) in new billings, with no losses, thanks to its Haval and BlueScope wins valued at US$14.5 million (AU$23.3 million) and US$14 million (AU$22.23 million), respectively. Atomic’s numbers pre-date its acquisition by Publicis Groupe in January.
Another indie, Half Dome, placed third with net new billings of US$40 million (AU$63 million). Its Online Education Services win notched the agency US$21.5 million (AU$34 million). It lost US$3 million in billings.
UK-based Brainlabs, which acquired Aussie digital agency Sparro in January last year, placed fourth. It notched US$31 million (AU$49 million) in new business wins.
Dentsu’s iProspect placed fourth with US$19 million (AU$30 million) in net new billings.
Naturally, Nunn, Atomic and Half Dome were the top performing independent media agencies.
Media Agency Groups
WPP’s media buying arm was the top performing media agency group in 2024.
Together its agencies EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker, brought in US$210 million (AU$333 million) in net new business.
Of that, US$189 million (AU$300 million) was true new business thanks to its 12 new clients, with Amazon and Nestlé the standout wins, worth US$70 million (AU$111 million) and US$41.6 million (AU$66 million), respectively.
GroupM’s agencies also had retentions worth US$74 million (AU$117 million) and losses of US$53 million (AU$84 million).
Aimee Buchanan, CEO of GroupM Australia and New Zealand told B&T she was delighted with the result.
“It’s exciting to see all three of our agencies, Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom firing on all cylinders and this recognition from COMvergence is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and innovative spirit of our teams. For the past few years, we’ve been focused on growing GroupM Australia in a way that’s built to last. We want to lead the way in the future of media and have invested in capabilities like Influencer and Commerce, data and technology, which ensures we can continue to deliver the most effective and efficient media and business transformation solutions for our clients. As a result, we’ve been honoured to welcome new clients to our portfolio and extend relationships with key existing clients. We’re lucky to partner with amazing Australian brands, and we appreciate their trust.”
The Omnicom Media Group placed second, with US$150 million (AU$238 million) in new business. While it lost US$65 million (AU$103 million), PHD’s retentions of the Volkswagen Group and Asahi more than atoned, as did the US$7.7 million (AU$12.23 million) retention of AgriFutures.
Nunn Media Group placed third, thanks to the main agency’s Spotlight win. It lost US$17 million (AU$27 million) in client billings.
In Australia, COMvergence assessed 155 media account moves/retentions in 2024, totalling US$1.05 billion (AU$1.67 billion).
That’s a 12 per cent lift in 2023’s volume. The 20 largest pitches—those that spend at least US$13 million (AU$20 million) each year—represent 69 per cent of the total spend reviewed during the year.
