Yearly Archives: 2016

Exciting news for South Africa is that local agency RMS Media is part of the new Local Planet global network

By Michael Bratt

This article appeared at The Media Online: http://themediaonline.co.za/2016/04/rms-media-joins-global-network-of-independent-media-agencies/

Michael Bratt spoke to CEO, Rob Smuts, to find out more.

Joining a global agency network is not a new thing for RMS Media as the company was previously part of Columbus Media International, a collective of global, independent […]

Local Planet claims to be the world’s only privately owned international media agency network

by David Furlonger, 03 May 2016, 05:47

Published in Business Day

INDEPENDENT media agencies are at a disadvantage in an era of market globalisation and must work together to win business, Rob Smuts, CEO of Johannesburg-based RMS Media, said.

RMS, which specialises in media buying […]

South African media agency RMS Media is a founder shareholder of the newly launched Local Planet, a global media agency network comprising many of the world’s leading independent media agencies.

According to RMS Media CEO Rob Smuts, the new network has forged a winning formula – an alternative network comprising best-in-class, independent owner-managed media agencies from around the world, each with an equity stake in the global company.

As the world’s first and only privately owned media agency network, Local Planet’s difference is that it understands that business is personal and clients get the owners of agencies personally invested in their business.

The fact that the founding shareholder agencies are able to maintain their independence, ensures that they keep a local mind-set, along with the spirit and hunger of a start-up. At the same time, they are able to offer clients strong international capability and all the benefits of a network.

The new independent media agency network will continue to deliver locally relevant communication solutions, with no attempt to impose the centralised one-size-fits-all approach often employed by corporate networks. Even though brands and media platforms may be global, business and people are still local. The top-down, centralised approach to international media does not work because local market circumstances and opportunities are not considered.

“The key to Local Planet’s international success will be our ability to compete and win locally,” says Smuts, “In building a genuine alternative global media network from the ground up, the executives who grew their successful agencies into market leading independents are buying in to the network – not selling out!  As a result, the loss of key skills that generally follows a corporate buyout is avoided. The local-up approach brings together the skills capabilities and perspectives that exist in media today to deliver where it matters.”

Building upon foundations established by Columbus Media International, Local Planet operates in over 40 markets across the world and accesses a team of 3000 media experts. It includes the renowned  Horizon Media in the US, 7stars in the UK, Spain’s Zertem Communication Group, Italy’s Media Italia, Germany’s pilot, France’s CoSpirit MediaTrack, Sweden’s Tre Kronor and India’s Percept Media among its founder shareholder agencies.  The network agencies currently work with some high profile brands including Geico, Capital One, Nike, IKEA, Viacom, Pfizer, H&M and Kayak.

In addition to bringing together leading independent media agencies from around the world, Local Planet also boasts highly experienced leadership. Martyn Rattle, formerly Global CEO of Vizeum and Global Chief Client Officer of Aegis Media, has been named Global CEO of Local Planet, while Bill Koenigsberg, President, Founder and CEO of Horizon Media has been named Chairman. Moreover, all the main shareholder agencies’ founders and leaders will sit on the newly formed Local Planet Group Board, leveraging the talents and experience of some of the foremost names in the media industry.

Of the leadership of the new global network, Smuts says, “The beauty of our structure is that the very same leaders, who invested their passionate energy in building their own successful agencies, continue […]