#CommerceMonth: Putting agency management on the map

The account win is a sizeable one for Magnetic as it incorporates management and functionality of new business development as well as project and task management, resource allocation, time tracking, billing and other regular daily tasks. As it follows a six-month trial stage and intense two-month pitch against two other companies, Magnetic’s clearly up for the challenge.

Little wonder then that CEO Dan Marcus feels these wins have really put Magnetic on the map in the agency space, especially as until now they’ve only worked with independent agencies, small and large. Marcus lets us in on how closing a large portion of a global network agency like this gives Magnetic huge credibility, particularly in a time where the rise of ecommerce gives the online consumer more power than ever before…

Humble beginnings

While Magnetic’s development started in 2008 by Korak Kuhnert from his spare room, they officially went to market early 2012 after identifying a need for their specialised agency management platform that focused on giving companies what they want most: valuable insight to ensure they can run efficiently and increase profit.

Magnetic CEO, Dan Marcus

The name Magnetic came about from this idea of “attracting” or linking data to each other and having a name with a lot of energy, such as magnetic energy driving motors, as well as the fact that bulk storage was stored on magnetic tapes. This concept is put into action by the fact that Magnetic allows clients to house all their information under one roof, accessible at the click of a button as it’s a fully integrated end-to-end system. As all teams from client service to traffic, studio, creative and accounts work on the same system, all client data sits in just one system, which provides management with a bird’s-eye view of the entire business without switching between different systems.

Marketing for the omnichannel consumer

That’s just what today’s customer is looking for, especially as ecommerce is predicted to really take off in South Africa over the coming months, with mobile set to overtake desktop in its entirety, as well as the rise of the omni-channel marketing experience, which marketers now have no choice but to embrace fully.

Marcus says: “With today’s constant connectivity and the instantaneous nature of technology, as well as the rise of ecommerce, the online consumer has got much more power than ever before. The online consumer is king. The ecommerce environment is incredibly competitive and companies have to continually evolve to keep up with best practice customer experience management in order to stay ahead of the game.“

Magnetic is certainly up for the challenge, as the global Dentsu Aegis Network wins come on the back of a number of other key account wins over the past 12 months, namely Titan Digital, which has 200+ users based in Cape Town and Perth Australia; Hero Advertising Agency; Artifact; Design Company; Design Partnership; Stretch Experiential; Flock Associates in the UK; We Are Monsters; Media Shack; and Media Host. Marcus explains: “All of these are significant as they are specific to the agency market across various sectors, including BTL, TTL and ABL.” That’s below-the-line, through-the-line and –above-the-line to the rest of us. Marcus adds that most of their agency clients have offices in multiple cities, which creates great ‘use cases’ in showcasing the power of how Magnetic connects teams. As they’ve recently begun onboarding UK clients, Magnetic’s UK footprint is set to expand, with on-the-ground support expected there within the next three months, while at the same time continue to increase their rapidly growing market share here in SA.

Now, Marcus says being part of the Dentsu Aegis Network shows the team that a global player believes Magnetic is a tool that can and should be used in the agency world. There’s no greater magnetic pull than that. For more on Magnetic, keep an eye on their Twitter feed.