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Case study.

MediaCom is one of the world's largest media agencies. They are part of GroupM, who in turn are part of the world’s largest advertising network, WPP.

MediaCom work across all traditional, new and emerging media, entrusted with ensuring client advertising budgets are invested intelligently and delivering outstanding return on investment. Aspire have worked with MediaCom for over 12 years.

Overview

  • MediaCom gained a new account unexpectedly which had to be on-boarded and operational within a specific time period.

  • GroupM has its own internal talent resources but needed to focus on resourcing this key account within strict time constraints.

  • The Director of Talent approached Aspire to discuss the challenge and explore the options available to deliver the talent required on the account.

  • The solution was to send two Aspire consultants to work onsite at MediaCom, as an extension of their internal team and dedicated to resourcing talent for the new account.

  • Operating onsite, they worked hand in hand with a key internal recruitment stakeholder.

  • Aspire consultants were close to the leadership teams running the campaign and had first-hand access to line managers. As a result, Aspire gained a greater understanding of the internal workings of an agency and the MediaCom leadership team gained an appreciation of the challenges faced when resourcing specialist talent.

  • The Aspire proposal for MediaCom was cost-neutral. It was based on exclusivity and volume of demand in exchange for dedicated resources.

Key Objective

To fully resource a new account within a set timescale, at no increased cost.

Results

  • Aspire filled 22 roles within the short timescales agreed.

  • This project strengthened our understanding of the problems media agencies face - First-hand access to agency managers has helped us understand the inner workings of an agency, in particular the strains of landing a new account.

  • The relationship has deepened between Aspire and MediaCom - Our relationship with MediaCom has never been better. There is mutual trust between our businesses that has been strengthened by the project.

  • MediaCom has appointed Aspire to undertake a similar project for another new account win.

Challenges And How We Overcame Them

  • A totally new venture - We found out (first-hand) what happens in an agency when a new account lands.

  • Understanding internal processes within agencies - MediaCom is a big business so there were internal employees that could be brought in to fill roles. There were some early frustrations but we adapted easily and efficiently.

  • The sparsity of talent within this particular industry – Aspire utilized our Birmingham-based Talent Hub to draft in an extra Talent Consultant, who gave our consultants extra support and a significant boost - particularly on the digital side.

Why This Case Is Unique

  • We have developed a successful, innovative model for agency recruitment - We are unaware of any other recruitment company that has put people on site on a basis that is commercially no better off.

  • A model with benefits for both parties via mutual exclusivity.

  • A successful and scalable agency model for the future – We now have a strong delivery model for any client (or any marketplace) with a specific demand over a specific time frame.

  • We have in-depth knowledge of what happens when a new account moves agencies.

Testimonial

"It was a massive success. I think the way Aspire's consultants conducted themselves and delivered, not only in terms of the candidates but client service as well, was brilliant. I've had nothing but good feedback within the business.

The outcome of that project was a complete success and that alone speaks volumes. It's 100% something I would do again.

The good thing about Aspire is that they're so well staffed, that we can take 2 people from the team and they can still deliver at the same standard across the rest of Group M and give us 100% capacity.

It was already a good relationship but this project has strengthened it even more."

Marc Conway – Head of Talent Acquisition at MediaCom

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