Nokia names Carat as global media partner for move to 'solutions marketing'

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 18 June 2009 08:10

IT Industry - Strategy

Nokia has appointed Carat, part of the Aegis Group, as the single global media partner to handle its media planning and buying on the strength of its digital capabilities.
 

Nokia's global head of marketing, Pekka Rantala, said: "We were looking for a partner that offered digital media excellence to accelerate Nokia's move into solutions marketing. We believe that innovation will be an important component to improve the effectiveness of media communications in the future." Rantala added: "Carat will add value especially in strategic planning and offer strong digital capabilities."

Carat claim to be "the world's first independent media agency. The company was founded in 1968 and now claims to have the more than 4,600 people in 63 countries. In Asia Pacific it claims a presence in Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Nokia says it conducted a thorough evaluation process that incorporated assessments from global, regional and local marketing stakeholders "to identify the optimal media solution for meeting Nokia's evolving requirements for consumer-led, innovative and creative outcome-based media planning and buying across the globe."

Nokia says that Carat's appointment will apply in all countries. "The transition will be completed in the majority of regions in the third quarter of 2009 with the exception of India and Middle East/North Africa, which have an extended transition period."

Tracy Postill, Corporate Communications Manager for Nokia Australia, told iTWire "Locally we use Mediacom, with whom we have an existing global arrangement. The transition to Carat will start on the 1st July and be completed on 30 September after which the relationship will be fully operational."

Mediacom was appointed in January 2006 to handle an estimated annual spend by Nokia on media planning and buying of $US150m in Asia Pacific. An existing relationship for creative work remained with Bates Asia.  However in July 2007 Nokia appointed Wieden & Kennedy to handle its £175 million-plus global creative and strategy account.