Exit Carat

AUCKLAND, Tuesday: As part of L’Oréal’s global corporate governance process, which sees a media review completed every four years, L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand have appointed GroupM agency Wavemaker as their new media agency from 1 October. The incumbent was Carat.

L’Oréal AUNZ CMO Matthijs van der Putten (who’s based in Melbourne) said: “The review process was overseen by Ebiquity, an independent advisor to manage the process on behalf of L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand.

“The review focused on the changes in the media landscape and ensuring the business can benefit from new talent and evolving agency capabilities.

“It highlighted that the two agencies in the pitch, Wavemaker and Carat, both offer excellent services and are extremely professional. The management team at L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand would like to thank all the agencies who participated in the media review process for their diligence and commitment throughout the process.

“L’Oréal Australia and New Zealand have had a strong relationship with Carat since 2014 and during this time, the team has assisted L’Oréal greatly in pivoting from brand awareness campaigns to accelerating eCommerce.

“In winning the account, Wavemaker highlighted several key areas including, the tools and processes which can provide a competitive advantage, a strong team and an innovative approach to the challenges posed to the agencies as part of the review process.

“Wavemaker stood out as the best partner for our continued transformation into a beauty tech company.”

“In addition, Wavemaker is the agency for a number of major international L’Oréal markets and there is opportunity for shared learnings.

“After a thorough agency review, where we included both full service and specialised digital agencies, Wavemaker stood out as the best partner for our continued transformation into a beauty tech company.

“During the process they showed that they have the right people and tools to support us in this transformation and our continued growth in ecommerce.

“Wavemaker inspired us with innovative media strategies and ways of working that will bring the best out of our portfolio of international brands in the Australian and New Zealand market. Connecting offline and online touchpoints and a seamless integration between awareness and performance media.”

Peter Vogel, The Sydney-based ceo of Wavemaker Australia & New Zealand, said: “We are excited to partner with L’Oréal Australia & New Zealand on this incredible journey.”

The NZ connections
Wavemaker NZ is based at 22 Fanshawe Street in Auckland’s CBD, and is led by MD Grant Anderson. GroupM NZ ceo is Chris Riley (also Auckland-based).

• www.wavemakerglobal.com
• www.groupm.com