MediaCom Worldwide has launched a new
global sports division, MediaCom SPORT. It will be headed by Global
Head of Sports Marcus John, who was previously SVP & Managing
Director of IMG Consulting Asia/Pacific.
The new division has been created as a
result of the increasing power of sports with consumers and
MediaCom's understanding of the need for clients to skilfully
position and market their brand in this space at a global
level.
MediaCom SPORT will offer four key
areas of services: Strategic advice, rights negotiation, rights
activation and measurement. Marcus' remit will be to work with
MediaCom's Global Account Directors, to manage the relationship
with key sporting bodies and to provide clients with first hand
access to these opportunities in order to help them meet their
ever-more complex marketing challenges. He will also work closely
with the MediaCom Beyond Advertising team and GroupM's
Entertainment & Sports Partnerships group to communicate client
engagement in sports across all consumer touch points.
Prior to joining MediaCom, Marcus
spent 10 years at IMG completing his tenure as SVP & Managing
Director, IMG Consulting Asia/Pacific. He was responsible for some
of the biggest deals in Asia including the Beijing Olympics' first
deal to exceed the USD100million mark. In addition he advised a
wide range of clients over the past decade in this area such as
Visa, GE, Phillips, Hyundai and Johnson & Johnson.
"Both consumers and clients are
increasingly interested in what sports can deliver. MediaCom has
previously focused its sports expertise at a local and regional
level but we realised that our clients now require a more global
and deeper understanding of the sports arena as their budgets
continue to shift towards investments in this area and with it a
much greater sensitivity to achieve solid returns. We need to be
able to offer our clients the very best in advice and are therefore
delighted to welcome Marcus to MediaCom's global team. Marcus'
brief is to build the scale of our offer, establish strong ties
with right holders and make the best opportunities available to our
clients," said Chairman and CEO Stephen Allan.
Christian Schmalzl, Global Head of
Investment, added "Marcus truly lives and breathes sport. He is
passionate about what we do and has a clear vision for how sport
fits with our clients' needs and how it can provide a strong ROI.
With client interest at an all-time high, we envisage having to
quickly add additional resources to the great team already in
place".
"I am very excited about building a
standalone sports business for one of the world's most powerful
media agencies and adding significant value to its large and
diversified client base. Establishing sports expertise within a
media agency will ensure that brands who invest in sports rights
also activate these properties to their full potential and
integrate them across all their communication channels", said
Global Head of Sports Marcus John.