Modern Union was founded in 2011 by Matt Gill, David Indo and Tom Denford, 3 high-profile and highly experienced media and communication experts.
Modern Union is a new type of communications agency built upon a set of principles designed to fulfil the needs and challenges facing brands in a modern world.
We believe that ambitious brands deserve better quality strategic advice and better quality service to make marketing budgets work harder in a digital age.
We believe that independent, channel neutral strategic planning is the key to this success. In an increasingly complex media world, brands need impartial advice about where and how to invest in marketing to provide the greatest potential for growth.
We believe that many traditional agencies are unable to do this.
We are different. We are Modern Union.
1. MODERN
UNION from reactions
to relationships
AN INTRODUCTION TO MODERN UNION
2. MODERN UNION
A NEW TYPE OF COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING AGENCY
WITH STRATEGY & INNOVATION AT ITS HEART
Modern Union was founded in 2011 by Matt Gill, David Indo
and Tom Denford, 3 high-profile and highly experienced
media and communications experts.
Modern Union is a new type of communications planning
HELPING AMBITIOUS BRANDS TO BUILD MORE VALUABLE agency based upon a set of principles designed to fulfil
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS the needs and challenges facing brands in a modern
world.
We believe that ambitious brands deserve better quality
strategic advice and better quality service to make
marketing budgets work harder in a digital age.
We believe that independent, channel neutral strategic
MEDIA NEUTRAL COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING PROCESS planning is the key to this success. In an increasingly
complex media world, brands need impartial advice about
where and how to invest in marketing to provide the
greatest potential for growth.
We believe that many traditional agencies are unable to
do this.
TRANSPARENT & COLLABORATIVE WORKING PRACTICES We are different. We are Modern Union,
4. THE IMPORTANCE OF NEUTRALITY
FOCUS ON CONSUMER VALUE
IDENTIFYING YOUR MOST VALUABLE CONSUMERS, THEIR
IN A WORLD OF INCREASINGLY NEEDS AND BEHAVIOURS, IS OUR STARTING POINT
COMPLEX CHANNEL CHOICES, BRANDS
REQUIRE ADVICE THAT IS NOT BIASED
TO PARTICULAR CHANNELS
CHANNEL STRATEGY
WE SELECT THE RIGHT CHANNEL MIX AND DEVELOP
INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE WAYS TO ENGAGE YOUR
MOST VALUABLE CONSUMERS IN THOSE CHANNELS
AT MODERN UNION WE MAKE
RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON WHAT
IS RIGHT FOR YOUR BRAND, NOT WHAT
INCREASES OUR PROFIT INNOVATION AT ITS HEART
WE CONSIDER THE MOST EFFECTIVE POINTS OF
CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT (OFTEN IN DIGITAL CHANNELS)
BUT WE THINK THROUGH-THE-LINE; FROM THE TV AD ALL
THE WAY THROUGH TO RETAIL AND BEYOND INTO CRM
5. FROM REACTIONS TO RELATIONSHIPS
REACTION RELATIONSHIP
BUT STANDOUT IS NOT ENOUGH
GETTING NOTICED IN A WORLD OF ADVERTISING
CLUTTER IS TOUGH INVESTMENT IN MODERN MARKETING NEEDS TO
ENGAGE YOUR CONSUMERS FOR THE LONG TERM
WE DEVELOP BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS TO GET YOUR
BRAND STANDOUT WE CREATE STRATEGIES TO TURN CONSUMERS INTO
LOYAL CUSTOMERS
6. Development
LEADERSHIP IN A WORLD OF SPECIALISTS
MODERN UNION IS AN INDEPENDENT COMPANY,
WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY ACROSS DISCIPLINES
OFFERING SENIOR AND EXPERIENCED RESOURCE IN
WITH BEST IN CLASS AGENCIES AND SPECIALISTS.
STRATEGY, SERVICE AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
MEDIA PLANNING
& BUYING
CONTENT
DEVELOPMENT SEARCH
SOCIAL PERFORMANCE
MEDIA DISPLAY
MODERN UNION
- STRATEGY
- SERVICE
- MANAGEMENT
BRANDING &
EVENTS
DESIGN
GAMING MOBILE
CREATIVE
DEVELOPMENT
7. HOW WE WORK WITH PARTNERS
1. MODERN UNION TEAM DEVELOP THE OVERARCHING STRATEGIC APPROACH TO A GIVEN CLIENT
BRIEF - BRINGING IN OUR SPECIALIST PARTNERS FOR THEIR EXPERTISE AS REQUIRED
2. ONCE THIS STRATEGY HAS BEEN SIGNED OFF BY THE CLIENT, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR
PARTNERS TO DEVELOP A FINELY TUNED IMPLEMENTATIONAL PLAN
3. WE THEN PROJECT MANAGE DETAILED BRIEFS TO ALL EXECUTIONAL PARTNERS TO ENSURE
FLAWLESS DELIVERY OF THAT PLAN
THE VALUE OF SPECIALISTS
MODERN UNION ALLOWS SPECIALISTS TO CONCENTRATE ON BEING SPECIALISTS. OUR CLIENTS FIND
THAT THIS GIVES THEM THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: THE BEST TALENT FOR A BETTER COST.
WORKING WITH INDEPENDENT SPECIALISTS RATHER THAN A BIG FULL SERVICE AGENCY KEEPS
DOWN THE COST OF AGENCY OVERHEADS, IT MINIMISES DUPLICATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES,
CREATES A MORE COLLABORATIVE (AND EFFECTIVE) ROSTER AND GIVES ACCESS TO THE REAL
BEST-IN-CLASS TALENT.
8. MATT GILL
MANAGING DIRECTOR
MATT’S JOB IS TO BRING MODERN UNION’S STRATEGIC
RECOMMENDATIONS TO LIFE BY APPLYING HIS EXPERIENCE OF
WORKING ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF AGENCY DISCIPLINES AND
COLLABORATING WITH OUR SPECIALIST PARTNERS.
IN THE LAST 11 YEARS MATT HAS PLACED A GIANT PHONE BOX ON
THE PARIS PERIPHERIQUE, RECREATED THE LONDON UNDERGROUND
IN MILAN, TAKEN HUGE GLOWING POST BOXES TO THE STREETS OF
DUSSELDORF (BRITISH AIRWAYS, LONDON IS CLOSER THAN YOU
THINK - M&Ms CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR 2004), BEEN INMARSAT’S
DRIVING FORCE (WINNING ANOTHER M&M AWARD), DEVELOPED ONE
OF THE FIRST EVER BRANDED MOBILE APPS FOR BA, PROVED THAT
IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING (WINNER: M&M AWARDS 2008), HELPED TO
THROW THE BEST HOUSE PARTY OF ALL TIME, LAUNCHED THE
WORLD’S LIGHTEST EVER FOOTBALL BOOT, CELEBRATED
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SUCCESS WITH LIONEL MESSI AND ENTICED A
HOST OF GLAMOROUS INFLUENCERS TO ATTEND A STYLISH
RENDEZVOUS WITH CHAMBORD IN MAYFAIR...
PREVIOUS ROLES:
- DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED BUSINESS - CARAT GLOBAL
- GLOBAL ACCOUNT DIRECTOR - ZENITHOPTIMEDIA INTERNATIONAL
9. TOM DENFORD
STRATEGY DIRECTOR
TOM’S JOB IS TO DEVELOP BRILLIANT, INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES
THAT DELIVER BETTER BUSINESS RESULTS FOR OUR CLIENTS.
IN THE LAST 15 YEARS, TOM HAS DOMINATED AD BREAKS IN THE
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOR FORD, SUPPORTED THE FIRST SERIES OF
POP IDOL FOR VIZZAVI/VODAFONE, WRAPPED THE NATIONAL
GALLERY IN LONDON IN GIANT PAINTINGS, NEARLY GOT ARRESTED
FOR PROJECTING ONTO THE NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM DURING
FASHION WEEK FOR HANDBAG.COM, FLIPPED THE MORTGAGE
MARKET ‘ON ITS HEAD’ FOR AN AUSTRALIAN BANK, GOT VERY
MUDDY AT THE WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH INMARSAT,
CREATED 1000s OF NEW SNOB READERS VIA FACEBOOK, TURNED
HP FROM A B2B PRINTER COMPANY INTO ONE OF THE WORLD’S
LEADING CONSUMER ELECTRONICS BRANDS (AND WON
CAMPAIGN’S BRAND OF THE YEAR, AHEM), GOT THE PHONES
RINGING AT DOMINO’S PIZZA ACROSS THE US AND FILLED THE O2
ARENA WITH 50,000 BASKETBALL FANS FOR THE NBA...
PREVIOUS ROLES:
- GLOBAL HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING - CARAT GLOBAL
- DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING - JWT NEW YORK
10. DAVID INDO
CLIENT SERVICE DIRECTOR
DAVID’S JOB IS USE HIS INSIGHT FROM WORKING AS A CLIENT IN 2
OF THE WORLD’S MOST SOPHISTICATED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS TO
ENSURE ALL OF OUR CLIENTS BENEFIT FROM THE IMMACULATE
CLIENT SERVICE THAT WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON.
IN THE LAST 12 YEARS, DAVID HAS DODGED RIOTS IN PALESTINE,
ENDURED SANDSTORMS IN JORDAN AND SURVIVED THE ROADS OF
CAIRO WHILST TRYING TO CONVINCE MEN AND WOMEN ACROSS
THE MIDDLE EAST TO DRINK COCA-COLA RATHER THAN PEPSI,
PLAYED KEEPY UPPY WITH RONALDO, DISCUSSED TENNIS ELBOW
WITH NADAL, ENABLED RUNNERS TO RUN FURTHER AND FASTER
THROUGH THE USE OF AN IPOD AND A SMALL CHIP IN THEIR SHOE,
HELPED NIKE TO INSPIRE THROUGH FOOTBALL, CAPTIVATE
THROUGH DANCE AND MOTIVATE BY SIMPLY SAYING ‘JUST DO IT’...
PREVIOUS ROLES:
- PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL CLIENTS - AEGIS MEDIA
- HEAD OF MEDIA, EMEA - NIKE
- MEDIA DIRECTOR, MEA - COCA COLA COMPANY
11. HOW WE WORK
STRATEGY &
UNDERSTANDING
COMMS PLANNING
EXECUTION IMPLEMENTATION
PLANNING & EVALUATION
12. VALUABLE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
STRATEGY & IMPLEMENTATION
EXECUTION
UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT &
PLANNING
PLANNING EVALUATION
10 - RESULTS MONITORING
9 - PROJECT ACTIVATION
8 - CONTENT PLANNING
7 - CHANNEL MIX & ROLES DEFINED
6 - COMMUNICATION PLAN DEVELOPMENT
5 - ENGAGEMENT IDEA DEVELOPMENT
4 - IDENTIFY ROLE FOR BRAND COMMUNICATIONS
3 - CONSUMER & COMMUNICATIONS INSIGHTS
2 - BUSINESS / BRAND & MARKET / CATEGORY INSIGHTS
1 - BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE SETTING
13. A SELECTION OF OUR CLIENTS
WHO: FOUNDED IN NEW YORK CITY IN 1946, THE NBA IS THE WORLD’S PRE-EMINENT BASKETBALL LEAGUE
ROLE: COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY, MEDIA PLANNING AND BUYING, DRIVING INNOVATION IN COMMUNICATIONS
WHO: A PREMIUM BLACK RASPBERRY LIQUEUR WITH A FINE FRENCH HERITAGE
ROLE: SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND ACTIVATION
WHO: A RUSSIAN LANGUAGE GENERAL INTEREST MAGAZINE THAT CATERS TO THE COUNTRY’S GLOBAL ELITE
ROLE: EVENT ACTIVATION, RESEARCH & INSIGHT, MARKETING STRATEGY FOR LAUNCH IN EUROPE
WHO: AN ONLINE GLOBAL COMMUNITY CONNECTING VENUES, CLUBS & CLUBBERS, ARTISTS & DJs AND MUSIC FANS
ROLE: BUSINESS AND MARKETING STRATEGY, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
14. CONTACT US
MODERN UNION
2 TAYLORS YARD
170 BRICK LANE
LONDON E1 6RU
www.modern-union.com
T: +44 20 7377 9073
E: matt.gill@modern-union.com
MODERN UNION IS A DIVISION OF ID COMMS LTD REGISTERED IN ENGLAND & WALES NO. 6848158
