The news that they won the account to manage AB InBev's global brands in SA earlier this year, in a good old-fashioned ‘shootout’ style three-way pitch, was our third most-read new business win of 2017.
That’s just one of a handful of the global brands they work on, along with the likes of Sanlam, Santam, Commonwealth Bank SA, Visa, and Coty, so the calibre of their work is certainly of international quality.
So it’s all the more fitting they were also crowned as SA’s favourite and most successful agency in the Scopen AgencyScope 2017, also racking up accolades as second in creativity overall and most creative agency in Cape Town, as well as second most attractive agency on marketers’ list to pitch; top for good momentum, productivity and original creative ideas; most desired agency to work for; one of the most balanced agencies in the country and the nation’s top independent agency.
King James performed strongly in 10 key service attributes, ranging from strategy and creativity, to account service, integrated services offering, and good value for money. Per Scopen’s AgencyScope 2017, only three agencies have shown this strength of position in SA.
What does the Scopen AgencyScope accolade of “Agency of the Year 2017” and other honours mean?
It means a great deal to be awarded Agency of the Year within this study given the rigour of the process, and its scope. When 193 top marketers and 152 industry peers call you out, it’s a huge achievement and one we’re incredibly proud of. It really does mean we’re on the right track, and continuing to do the right things. For our clients, our staff and our industry.
They’re all wins we’re really proud of. And they underline the efforts we have been making as an agency to stay true to our core and our focus. The one that really stands out for us, however, amongst them all, is the momentum. Being perceived as an agency moving forward injects the right energy as we hit the new year, running.
How does this tie in with your other accomplishments this year?
Our awards at Loeries and Bookmarks – especially for our integrated work – echoes the creativity that emerged from the Scopen results. And, of course, being perceived so positively by our industry peers further supports the MarkLives “Most admired” accolades, which we were so proud to have received earlier in the year.
What’s your strategy behind attracting fresh new talent and top industry names alike to the agency?
The work is really the answer. The core of our strategy for attracting top talent is, for us, the continued output of standout creative product for our clients. Of course, we have a number of other propositions on the calendar including a structured intern programme, graduate and learnership initiatives, and of course, our own staff.
We’re already seeing significant growth in our technology and data services and with the landscape changing at such a rapid rate, this is an area we know will continue to present further opportunities for creative thinking and fresh exploration.Looking further afield, what are you most looking forward to in a business sense from 2018?
With the recent rebrand of our digital offering under the King James mantle, we’re really excited to see this part of our business continue to grow and evolve.
Lots to look forward to from 2018. Click here for more on King James, and visit their Twitter and Instagram feeds for the latest updates.
