Within Asia-Pacific, Wunderman’s digital subsidiary Agenda will be responsible for managing the account, ending the mobile brand’s 13-year relationship with XM Asia-Pacific.
Sources close to the review suggest the goal of the global consolidation is cost-cutting. The appointment coincides with a sharp downturn in performance in key markets.
Wunderman’s global duties will include maintaining the brand’s global site, the sites of individual handsets and the advertising campaigns that accompany them.
“Before this process happened there were multiple agencies doing the work for Nokia, which is more costly. This was a huge effort to streamline operations globally, regionally and in-market,” said one source close to the review. “That was really the only factor in choosing one company with a relationship with Nokia over others.”
The drawn-out pitch began on a global level in early 2008. Regional agencies began their round of presentations in the summer and were not notified of their shortlisted status until November. Wunderman’s win dislodges XM Asia-Pacific’s hold on the business in China, Southeast Asia, India and Australia.
In 2006, XM Asia-Pacific retained Nokia’s account over nine international agencies, including shortlisted contenders Wunderman and Moving Brands, both based out of London. Last year, XM repitched for the business in tandem with sister agency RMG Connect.
In November, sources from the shortlisted agencies noted that Nokia planned to announce the pitch result before January, but the process was delayed due to pressures to revise its 2009 advertising budget.
The talks preceded Nokia’s fourth-quarter report, which indicated a 69 per cent plummet in profit between the third and fourth quarter in 2008, much of which Nokia attributes to a decline in handset demand in key markets.
Sources close to the review suggest the goal of the global consolidation is cost-cutting. The appointment coincides with a sharp downturn in performance in key markets.
Wunderman’s global duties will include maintaining the brand’s global site, the sites of individual handsets and the advertising campaigns that accompany them.
“Before this process happened there were multiple agencies doing the work for Nokia, which is more costly. This was a huge effort to streamline operations globally, regionally and in-market,” said one source close to the review. “That was really the only factor in choosing one company with a relationship with Nokia over others.”
The drawn-out pitch began on a global level in early 2008. Regional agencies began their round of presentations in the summer and were not notified of their shortlisted status until November. Wunderman’s win dislodges XM Asia-Pacific’s hold on the business in China, Southeast Asia, India and Australia.
In 2006, XM Asia-Pacific retained Nokia’s account over nine international agencies, including shortlisted contenders Wunderman and Moving Brands, both based out of London. Last year, XM repitched for the business in tandem with sister agency RMG Connect.
In November, sources from the shortlisted agencies noted that Nokia planned to announce the pitch result before January, but the process was delayed due to pressures to revise its 2009 advertising budget.
The talks preceded Nokia’s fourth-quarter report, which indicated a 69 per cent plummet in profit between the third and fourth quarter in 2008, much of which Nokia attributes to a decline in handset demand in key markets.