Together took out Zenith

AUCKLAND, Friday: Investment guru Forsyth Barr has appointed downtown indie shop Together as its new media agency, covering strategy, data, marketing tech and media planning & buying.

The incumbent was ZenithOptimedia, but there was no formal pitch.

Forsyth Barr head of marketing Philip O’Neill told M+AD he’d made extensive inquiries before deciding on Together.

“We began speaking with the Together team to understand more about how we could use data and technology to drive business growth,” he said.

“Forsyth Barr’s creative agency is still Special. No changes there.”

“They impressed us with their focus on understanding our business and strategy as well as their understanding of technology and platforms.

“So it wasn’t really a discussion about tech. It was a discussion about how we create the most useful experiences to drive growth together.”

Together managing partner Rufus Chuter said: “They’re a business with strong New Zealand heritage in a category that’s changing fast, so we can’t wait to get going.”

Kris Hadley, also managing partner at Together, said: “Like every agency, Covid-19 checked our momentum, but we’ve emerged stronger with a range of initiatives under our belt.”

Forsyth Barr’s creative agency is Special. No changes there.