The decision has been made: Grey has been awarded the bid to oversee the Allianz Group's worldwide brand communication and will assume this task at the beginning of 2010. London-based Grey won ahead of DDB in the final round of the pitch, which began in spring 2009. BBDO, the account holder to date, and Young & Rubicam, were removed from competition in the previous round. BBDO's contract will expire at the end of the year.
Allianz Group awards its global brand communication account to Grey
The Allianz entities involved in the pitch will begin working with Grey at the beginning of 2010. Those entities are Allianz SE, Allianz Global Investors (AGI), Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) and Allianz Deutschland AG. In a step-by-step process, Allianz's other operating companies will follow suit throughout 2010.
The account covers the areas Brand Communication, Digital, Internal Engagement, Corporate Design, Sponsoring, and the Allianz Group's media budget.
Close integration of brand and business
Led by David Patton, the Grey team won the pitch because it best displayed the ability to meet the future requirements of the Allianz Group, explains Steven Althaus, Senior Vice President Global Brand Management at Allianz SE. "Grey presented the best strategy for a close integration of our brand and business, along with a road map for the new positioning of our brand communication. They also showed a strong commitment to creative excellence."
The cornerstones of the strategy are vertical integration and a stronger content-related exchange between the globally operating teams and the local teams, both on the agency side and within Allianz. Allianz Deutschland AG is assuming a lead role in this process, thereby paving the way for a global agency consolidation within the Team Allianz @ Grey. Today more than 80 percent of the Group's global business is done under the Allianz brand.
"A new era"
"We are entering a new era in our global brand positioning, which comes with corresponding challenges," says Althaus, "Allianz's newly created worldwide Market Management function enables us to link the brand more strongly to our day-to-day business. It was particularly important to us to pursue these goals with our colleagues in the operating companies", Althaus explains.
Kathrin Ehrig, Head of Customer Communication in Market Management at Allianz Deutschland AG, says, "As the company's home market, we are pleased to play an important role in this global process. Working hand in hand with Allianz SE, we want to increasingly use worldwide synergies to strengthen the Allianz brand and Sales in the future."
Grey will manage the entire account from London and Munich, supplementing this infrastructure through regional teams and local agency support in the core markets.
Speaking about the future cooperation with the Allianz Group, Grey London's CEO David Patton says, "This represents a great opportunity to work for one of the largest financial services providers. We are very much looking forward to a successful partnership."
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