Saatchi's rewarded for a year of client triumphs

16 March 2006

Saatchi & Saatchi rewarded for a year of client triumphs at Fairfax/Admedia awards

Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand continued to reap the rewards of a highly successful 2005 when it dominated the Fairfax AdMedia awards earlier this week. Saatchi & Saatchi collected four of the seven top prizes, including the prestigious Agency of the Year award, Agency CEO of the Year and Rookie Suit of the Year. Saatchi & Saatchi-owned Starcom won Media Agency of the Year.

“It’s a fantastic result, and a ringing endorsement that we’re getting it right for our clients. It reflects some very good results for Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand as a business, but really puts the spotlight on the quality of the campaigns we’ve been delivering,” said Andrew Stone, Chief Executive of Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand.

The awards, which reward business success and management excellence, recognised a very strong commercial performance for Saatchi & Saatchi. In 2005 the agency achieved a 36% increase in revenue and a 169% increase in profitability—much of it based on new business from existing clients, which is considered the most potent measure of agency value. Saatchi & Saatchi also won 86% of new-business pitches and significantly expanded staff numbers.

Mr. Stone said that the most satisfying outcome for the year was the impact of the work produced by the agency.

“We’ve helped to drive great results for our clients – the success of Telecom’s Mobile business and the launch of their new 3G network being a great example. We’ve also delivered some very memorable ads – like the bulls who take off in Toyota’s new Hilux, Westpac’s cartoon ads, or Brucetta and Davina’s infiltration of the Tui factory for DB Breweries,” said Mr. Stone.

In 2005, Saatchi & Saatchi created 44% of the New Zealand ads in AdMedia’s TV Top 10 list, four out of five of New Zealand’s favourite ads on the Fair Go programme special, and was ranked third in the world on the bestadsontv.com website.

Saatchi & Saatchi’s success at the FairFax AdMedia awards builds on a string of recent accolades, including being named Agency of the Year by B&T and by Campaign Brief magazine last month. Saatchi & Saatchi also took away a string of prizes at the industry’s EFFIES awards, including the new Agency Effectiveness Award for the most significant contribution by an agency to the success of its clients.

“It’s great to be recognised, but we have to acknowledge that it’s our clients, who encourage us and allow us the creative freedom to break barriers, that deserve awards like these. And it’s the 190 people here, led by the best senior team I’ve ever seen in advertising, that all are focused on the single goal of delivering great ideas to our clients. We are, at our core, an ideas company, and when we can see those ideas working this well for our clients, we know we’re getting it right,” said Mr. Stone.

ENDS

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