#LoeriesBrandRankings: How Ogilvy helps Kimberly-Clark win the marathon
Ever wondered about the work that goes into a successful ad agency-marketing brand relationship? Who better to ask than those behind the work that saw Kimberly-Clark race into third spot of this year’s Loeries Rankings table?
Not only that – Van Emmenes himself made a podium finish in tied third on the brand representative table with the brand’s own John Clark, baby and childcare marketing director at Kimberly-Clark. As for Wanliss, she placed third in the creative director table.
Winning ways! Here, Van Emmenes and Wanliss share the behind-the-scenes work that resulted in their rankings, as well as how to keep that working relationship running smoothly, and the industry relationship they personally admire…
Congrats on your excellent brand ranking at the Loeries this year! Talk us through how you claimed that spot.
Wanliss: The Baby Marathon took many, many months of hard work from every single person involved. This included our clients, so it’s especially wonderful that Kimberly-Clark and the Huggies marketing team received the recognition that they did.
Definitely. Your work together has done well throughout the year. Share a few of your other accolades.
Loeries:
- Grand Prix - Film communication; branded content video – series
- Campaign gold – data-driven campaign
- Campaign silver – digital integrated campaign
- Craft certificate – digital crafts; use of technology
- Craft gold – digital crafts; writing
- Campaign silver – media innovation; media campaign
- Craft certificate – film crafts; writing
- Campaign gold – integrated campaign
Bookmarks:
- Gold – branded content
- Silver – online video series
- Craft gold – craft; marketing copywriting
- Craft silver – craft; strategy
- Gold – Internet of Things
Cannes Lions:
- Bronze Lion – branded content
One Show:
- Merit – branded entertainment: Online/short film – campaign
- Merit – direct marketing: digital/social media & viral marketing – campaign
Assegai:
- Bronze – direct response mass media: TV, print, out-of-home and radio
- Leader Assegai award: integrated direct marketing campaign
- Silver – most effective use of content
- Silver – branded content
Effectively sweeping the board! There’s no denying the client-agency relationship is an important factor in getting out work that works. Comment on your working relationship together and how you keep things running smoothly.
Van Emmenes: A good working relationship is critical in getting work like this out, and it’s needless to say that a high level of trust sits at the core of such a relationship. Our relationship with the Ogilvy team is really strong – their behaviour and decision-making is not that of agency partners but rather as fellow custodians of the Huggies brand. They know our brand, consumer and business objectives as well as we do.
In my view, the things that keep things running smoothly is constant communication and transparency.
It also really helps that we can have social conversations before and after meetings – that helps to take the edge off, especially during the tough times.We’ve also built the type of relationship with the Ogilvy team that we can look back and laugh at the bad times, and reminisce fondly about the good times and achievements.
Advice on what brands and agencies alike can do to ensure a better working relationship?
Van Emmenes: Trust between agency and client is the most critical thing – this is the only enabler to taking a risk. If you know your agency has your brand’s and business objectives as their number one priority, you can follow their lead and pursue bold ideas.
Let’s end by spreading more love: Which ‘industry relationship’ do you most admire, and why?
Wanliss: Well, if we’re talking client-agency relationships that yield great work, what King James and Santam/Sanlam always manage to achieve is really admirable.
The work always feels contemporary and fresh, and that takes a real partnership: an agency that’s coming up with great, on-brand ideas and a client who has the foresight and bravery to buy them.
There’s definitely a special magic that comes from working work well together. Click through to our Loeries special section for more, and follow Ogilvy SA and Huggies SA on Twitter for the latest updates.
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
