Seeking closure: M2M shuts up its Kiwi shop
M2M International, which falls under the Omnicom Media Group (OMG) umbrella, has confirmed its closure in New Zealand following the departure of several key clients in the past 12 months.
Jo Reid, general manager at M2M International, says the top priority over the coming weeks is “the smooth transition of our clients to their future media agencies, ensuring M2M’s closure in New Zealand does not impact the continuity of services they receive or their communications.” The entire team of six will be disestablished, but she says they’re working hard to “transition them”.
Reid says M2M lost the Warehouse earlier this year and also Reckitt Benckisser, which she says was lost as a result of a global alliance change. And she ummed and ahhed about the media business for Cadbury, which is thought to have gone to Carat.
It’s been a fairly swift decline for M2M, which was born when Media Wise was integrated into OMG’s M2M International network just over a year ago. At the time, according to the Herald, the M2M International brand was supposed to hit the ground running in New Zealand with an established client base worth more than $90 million in rate card billings, ranking it the sixth-largest New Zealand media agency according to ACNielsen data.
As far as the impact on OMG, Reid says M2M was a relatively small piece of business and its other brands are still strong in the New Zealand market. There certainly hasn’t been too much positive news in that stable of late, however: Total Media lost long-time client Flight Centre to Ogilvy Media recently (and, as a result, got rid of the general manager position in Auckland), while OMD recently lost the comms, channel planning and strategy work for Fonterra to Naked, as well as the managing director of its Wellington office Matt Bale.
The business will cease trading on Thursday 30 September 2010.
Sandie
September 7, 2010
This is sad news but not unexpected. The decline of OMG continues – we only need to look back to the point that Kath decided to pitch Spark's Vodafone business for the start of the group falling into disarray – you reap what you sow
Bad move
September 8, 2010
Everyone knows that Carat has Cadbury in Oz. But the client will be regretting having to align their business to Carat here. What a shambles that will be.
Ellie
September 8, 2010
Having worked closely with Jo and M2M, we are incredibly disappointed at this news. The NZ team is extremely talented and has added tremendous value to our business. One thing we are certain – that the individuals personally affected by this will rise from the ashes of this unfortunate situation completely triumphant as their "nurturing relationships" philosophy was something they lived and breathed. We wish you all the very best Jo & team.
"OMG?!!"
September 8, 2010
"OMG" means "Oh My God!" in text slang for those who don't have teenage kids.
I too have worked with Jo and the team and it is a shame to see such great service and commitment (old fashioned media agency values…remember those days?) gone.
Curious
September 21, 2010
If by old fashioned media agency values, you mean the same old same old, then I guess you're right. As for nurturing relationships…. you do the math.