The Union bulks up planning team
The Union has hired two former BD Network planners, Stuart Randall and Mark Raine, as part of an investment into the agency¹s planning function.
Stuart Randall has been hired as a senior planner to work on the Baxters and Scottish Government accounts. He joins from BD Network where he worked in both their Glasgow and London offices. His experience over the last ten years includes work with brands such as Coke, Orange, VisitScotland, Coors, Carling, Peugeot and Lurpak.
Mark Raine joins the agency as a planner. Mark previously worked on clients such as Norwich Union, Diageo, Fanta and Famous Grouse. Previously he was brand manager at Tennents, where he worked on T in the Park, Scottish Football Association and trade marketing.
Both of them will work across The Union's communication disciplines of online, partnership marketing, field marketing, advertising and direct marketing. Thus they will also work with The Union's direct marketing company Union Direct, and field marketing and sales promotion arm, Union Connect. They will both report into Mark Reid (pictured), the agency's planning director.
Commenting on the appointments, Mark Reid said: "Given the storm clouds gathering in the economy it may seem a strange time to be investing in new people, however these appointments reflect our determination to constantly improve our product and the value we add for clients. Planning and consumer insight are an essential foundation to any creative thought and I am confident our clients will see the benefit of Stuart and Mark's involvement in our work."
Meanwhile, The Union’s global network of independent agencies, Worldwide Partners Inc (WPI), passed the 100 agency mark this week, as five new recruits joined its roster.
The five agencies increase the group’s presence across the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. InTheLine Marketing Group, ilogic (PTY) Ltd, Tank, Wellcom and Catalyx work across disciplines from digital, direct, media planning and design.
Based in Newtown, South Africa, with a branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel, illogic is a digital specialist, its work covers everything from strategic development and media planning and buying through to high-end creative design and development. Its clients include Play65, Sissy Boy Fashion, Rates Direct and Finweek.
InTheLine Marketing Group, based in San Sebastian, Spain is among the top and fastest growing agencies in the Basque Country, now one of Spain’s wealthiest and most competitive regions. A full service agency, its clients include Eun, Prodema, Naturtek and Grupo Eibar.
Tank, based in Tallinn, Estonia is a full range creative advertising agency, as well as a specialist in package designing, corporate identities and interactive solutions. Tank is one of the three top agencies in Estonia, with clients including Swedbank, Saku Brewery, Neste, Felix and Tele 2.
Parisian agency Wellcom celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. A communications specialist, its expertise encompasses corporate identity, public relations, press relations, publicity and online communication. Clients include Transalliance, PCM, Rougier and Agropolis.
Completing the picture is Manila-based Catalytx. Founded in 2000, it has grown to take its place among the top 20 agencies in the Philippines. Operating through the line, its 28 clients include the likes of Suzuki, Yakult, Bostik and South East Asia Food Inc.
Ian McAteer, group chairman of The Union and currently serving as WPI’s chairman, said: “We are increasingly finding that clients are expecting their agencies to have an international capability. With Worldwide Partners we feel we are uniquely placed in the Scottish market to deliver both international market intelligence and international implementation. We’re hosting the 2009 World Meeting in Edinburgh in May next year and looking forward to welcoming our 99 partner agencies to Scotland.”
Worldwide Partners has been key to The Union’s new business success in recent years. The agency now works internationally with clients such as Whyte & Mackay, QMS, Guardian Glass, Velux and Scottish Development International.