Creative Agency/Young & Rubicam Communication objectives were multi-faceted. First and foremost, Mediaedge:cia needed to introduce the new Accenture name in a high-impact way while transferring Andersen Consulting’s then considerable positive brand equity to Accenture. The goal was to make the new name ubiquitous among the target audience in a very short period of time and to ensure that it would become one of the most recognized business-to-business brands in the world. The target was slightly broadened in order to raise awareness and win support of the new name against a cross-section of constituencies. This included current and prospective clients, new recruits, the media/ analyst community, partners, employees and also the general public around the world.

Beyond simply a name change, the media effort was also attempting to reposition Accenture in the marketplace by communicating the company’s refined focus and capabilities.The overall goal of the campaign, to recapture 50% of the name recognition that Andersen Consulting had on December 31, 2000, was quite daunting. The strategy was to launch widely and boldly in 46 countries on 1st January, 2002. Accenture’s eight core countries were saturated with media, while the remaining 38 markets had steady print and airport initiatives. The campaign included the following elements: -Six-page magazine gatefolds and newspaper ads on 01/01/01, wishing readers ‘a Happy New Year’ from Accenture Free copies of Accenture-wrapped Financial Times distributed to UK commuters with free Starbucks vouchersIn the US in January the target was bombarded on TV with a significant Super Bowl and College Bowl Game presenceplus high-impact media to capture share of mind quickly, including: -Building, bus-wraps and plasma screens in Paris‘Smart’ city cars in GermanyTaxi-wraps in LondonSaturation outdoor in Milan and Madrid‘Street Furniture’ domination in Australia’s key business districtsAccenture’s out-of-home presence continued in several other countries, and spectacular outdoor units were created in all key markets.As the technology partner of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Accenture established an innovative presence with paragliders offering flights to guests during the Forum; great fun, and in keeping with Accenture’s enterprising spirit.Airport programmes achieved high-impact coverage by surrounding the target at business lounges. One highlight was at Heathrow’s Fast Track, created in partnership with the airport.

Advertising ran in leading newspapers and business journals in major markets, including a global 12-page insert in major titles, highlighting Accenture’s capabilities. The media programme also included leisure titles to connect with the target in their downtime. Sportsline.com, tigerwoods.com and wireless applications such as AvantGo added a diverse media presence.

Sponsorships included the Williams F1, the World Soccer Dream Match in Japan and the Accenture Match Play Championship in Melbourne, including an Accenture airship with worldwide TV coverage.The mix of media resulted in what was arguably the most expansive and impressive global b2b re-launch of a company in advertising history. Awareness reached half of pre-launch levels in just six months; now that’s accountability!Client quote - “I’m Dan O’Brien, Global Advertising Director at Accenture. The Media Edge played a significant role in launching Accenture’s new name and positioning in 2001 with a huge global advertising effort across 46 countries. Mediaedge was a true partner in this remarkable undertaking, with strategic savvy, flawless execution and never ending commitment and flexibility, all making for a successful re-launch.” Mediaedge:cia played a significant role in launching Accenture's new name and positioning platform in 2001. In August of 2000 Andersen Consulting legally won the right to separate from Andersen Worldwide (including Arthur Andersen). The court then mandated that Andersen Consulting had only until 12/31/00 to choose a new company name, which presented a unique challenge. The equity of what had become the leading brand in the consulting industry had taken eleven years to build. That equity now needed to be transferred to Accenture.

Accenture faced this challenge by launching a global advertising campaign, unprecedented in scope and scale. A multi-channel communications programme was put in place across 48 countries worldwide. Mediaedge:cia defined suitable media platforms to effectively implement the strategy and bring the campaign to life.Mediaedge:cia drove the strategy from its international hub in New York. We used proprietary awareness models to project the media weight and spending necessary to achieve our awareness goals. This model served as our guiding light for setting country budgets and for monitoring results. We delivered on our goal of achieving global awareness of the new Accenture brand by executing one of the largest business-to-business corporate re-branding and re-positioning campaigns in history. The global media strategy was original, bold and driven by the goal of achieving omnipresence. Building a new global brand required innovative global media. Mediaedge:cia chose to reach the target whether at home, work, leisure or en-route. We differentiated Accenture from its competitors through placement in non-traditional media channels and by leveraging a high-impact presence in traditional media.

The core target audience was defined as the ‘C-Suite’ (ie CEOs, CFOs etc) at Global 2000 and Dotcom companies. It was quite a challenge to reach effectively one of the most elusive targets in the world, while having limited measurement resources of its media usage habits.The results of this global, multi-media platform initiative are truly remarkable. The Accenture brand name recaptured 50% of the original company’s unaided awareness in just six months. This figure exceeds all but one of Accenture’s competitors and firmly establishes Accenture as a leading provider of technology and management services in the world today.

Mediaedge:cia played a significant role in launching Accenture's new name and positioning platform in 2001. In August of 2000 Andersen Consulting legally won the right to separate from Andersen Worldwide (including Arthur Andersen). The court then mandated that Andersen Consulting had only until 12/31/00 to choose a new company name, which presented a unique challenge. The equity of what had become the leading brand in the consulting industry had taken eleven years to build. That equity now needed to be transferred to Accenture.

Accenture faced this challenge by launching a global advertising campaign, unprecedented in scope and scale. A multi-channel communications programme was put in place across 48 countries worldwide. Mediaedge:cia defined suitable media platforms to effectively implement the strategy and bring the campaign to life.Mediaedge:cia drove the strategy from its international hub in New York. We used proprietary awareness models to project the media weight and spending necessary to achieve our awareness goals. This model served as our guiding light for setting country budgets and for monitoring results. We delivered on our goal of achieving global awareness of the new Accenture brand by executing one of the largest business-to-business corporate re-branding and re-positioning campaigns in history.