McCann Worldgroup named ‘Most Effective Agency Network’: What this means for its Kenyan affiliation

Advertising giant McCann Worldgroup, part of the Interpublic Group (IPG), has been recognized as the Most Successful Agency Network in the 2018 Global Effie Effectiveness Index.

McCann is a leading global marketing services company with 24,000 employees in more than 125 countries. Harris Diamond, Chairman, and CEO of McCann Worldgroup said, “The Effie’s recognize the most important issue in marketing, highlighting whether your campaigns are effective in driving sales and increasing brand and product recognition.

This is our foremost mission and I am proud that our strategic, creative and business leadership teams are being recognized for delivering ROI and effective creative approaches that build our clients’ businesses and increase their market share.”

The Effie Awards is known by advertisers and agencies globally as the pre-eminent award in the industry and recognizes any and all forms of marketing communication that contributes to a brand’s success. In Kenya, McCann Worldgroup is affiliated to the award-winning Transcend Media Group.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, McCann Worldgroup has over 20 agencies servicing 41 markets. These offices are structured around five regional hubs that service identified regions based on common geography and language.

Transcend Media Group (TMG) is the lead agency for the Anglo East region which includes Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Burundi. TMG is based in Nairobi, Kenya and has a staff of 41 well-trained advertising practitioners who constantly utilize McCann’s global best practices.

The Nairobi TMG McCann office handles global brands such as MasterCard, South African Tourism and Facebook amongst many others. Local brands under its portfolio include Kenya Wine Agencies Limited (KWAL), Basco Paints Limited, Resolution Insurance, Population Services Kenya, Communications Authority, Kenya Reinsurance Corporation and many more.

Global affiliations, such as the TMG-McCann partnership, provide the local agency with global strategies, advisories, and first-hand insights on new trends in the advertising spectrum. This puts TMG at the forefront in meeting its clients’ objectives as well as ensuring Return On Investment.

“As we develop campaigns, the key driver is the meaningful role that the brand plays in people’s lives. Hence, we apply the ‘Truth to Meaning’ philosophy that is coined from McCann Worldgroup’s Mantra ‘Truth Well Told’ that is over a century old,” says Mr. Tony Gatheca, CEO – TranscendMedia Group.

An ad agency network affiliation is a partnership of unique, well-equipped ad agencies from various markets that share knowledge and experiences with the aim of strengthening the network. Albert Einstein put it well when he said ‘Union gives strength’. Through the global partnership, the working culture of the local agency is governed by the global policies and more value is accorded to clients.

As stated by Amanda Malko on adage.com, awards help brands to differentiate a great agency from a good agency. Brands are finding it harder than ever to select a worthy agency and it is common to find “list of recent awards” as a common requirement in the request for proposals in Kenya and globally.

Awards present an opportunity to take a step back, survey what other brands are doing and be both humbled and inspired to be even greater. When agencies come together to share, compete and inspire each other, they have an opportunity to make their teams and clients stronger. Awards help the industry keep the bar high, provided they never lose sight of the real prize: The clients’ success.

Mr. Gatheca further added, “Customer service and attention to detail is core to the agency. We achieve our best results by receiving well, doing well and handing over well. As the local McCann affiliate, we are open to partnering with companies to grow their brands and cement their position in the marketplace both in Kenya and in the Anglo East region.”

Transcend Media Group will continue to use the synergies drawn from McCann Worldgroup in developing award-winning campaigns, with a mission to transform brands and grow business.

About Transcend Media Group (TMG)

Transcend Media Group is a Kenyan, full-service, integrated communications agency with global reach, through our affiliate, McCann Worldgroup. We have built a team with a passion for originality and a keen ability to apply their imagination to meet the needs of our clients. Reaching the modern consumer, with its short attention span, requires a creative agency that not only recognizes innovation but knows how to leverage on trends and make them stand out amongst the ordinary.

For more details, visit www.transcendmedia.co.ke