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The pitch after the pitch: Clemenger Group wins first major Auckland Transport project

Following the appointment of Clemenger Group, Ogilvy and Federation as a panel of creative providers for the Auckland Council Group (Auckland Transport, ATEED and Auckland Council), Auckland Transport has assigned an agency to its first big project.

As part of the ‘panel of providers’ arrangement, the agencies on the Auckland Council Group roster are required to pitch for any large projects (StopPress understands that this includes any project with a budget in excess of $200,000).

The first of these pitches has now concluded, with the project being awarded to Clemenger Group (99, Colenso BBDO and OMD). 
      
“Following a comprehensive process, Clemenger Group was confirmed to be the successful agency,” says Kevin Leith, the group manager of customer and market at Auckland Transport.

StopPress understands that 99 will serve as lead agency on the project, supported by the other two agencies in the group.     

99 managing director Paul Manning says it couldn’t be more excited about this win and its looking forward to playing a major role as agency partners with Auckland Transport.

“In major cities around the world a good public transport offering has the potential to play an integral and impactful role in the lives of customers,” he says.

“We grounded our approach in gaining a deep understanding of the customer and their relationship with public transport. Our customer-centered design thinking gave us the essential context to influence behaviour, enhance customer journeys and build on positive perceptions of the network with our target audiences across the region.”

Leith says the purpose of the campaign will be to increase the number of people using public transport. It will follow a bold target set for AT Metro, to double public transport trips from 70 to 140 million per year by 2022.

With 75 percent of total trips in Auckland presently made using private vehicles, the task of replacing cars as the city’s preferred mode of transport is a significant one. With recent network improvements and a pipeline of new initiatives, AT Metro now has a strong story to tell and the confidence to positively promote the services it offers. 

99 will develop a strategy and marketing programme for AT Metro based around its brand purpose of ‘moving Auckland forward by seamlessly connecting people and places’, and delivering communications across AT Metro products, services and modes. 

“AT Metro requires a single agency to plan and execute patronage growth campaigns,” Leith says. “We need to develop a consistent and measurable approach to our advertising.”

With congestion on Auckland roads a major talking point across politics and the media, Auckland Council is expected to spend significantly on this project.   

This win is well timed for 99 in that it comes off the back of Warehouse Stationery’s recent decision to take a bigger portion of its work in-house. 

Correction: this story originally stated that 99 has won an Auckland Council project. The project, in fact, for Auckland Transport, which is now required to choose its creative partners from the panel selected by the broader Auckland Council Group (Auckland Council, ATEED, Auckland Transport).     

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