EssenceMediacomX is no more
EssenceMediacomX has been dissolved, The Media Leader can confirm.
Last week, the GroupM agency lost its largest client, Sky Media, to Publicis Groupe’s Zenith.
The Media Leader understands that a “majority” of staff from EssenceMediacomX will be subsumed into EssenceMediacom.
EssenceMediacomX only existed in the UK. A spokesperson for GroupM said the decision to axe the brand is “part of a broader strategy to align with the global EssenceMediacom operating structure and simplify operations across GroupM agencies”.
As part of the restructure, EssenceMediacomX CEO Clare Chapman is leaving this week. She led the agency from November 2023 after joining from Carat. Chapman had previously worked for four years at Essence.
Chapman said: “I’m so grateful to my EMX colleagues and our clients for the warm welcome back to the agency. I’ve really enjoyed being part of this team again and wish everyone all success for the future.”
Natalie Cummins takes the reins
As part of the reorganisation, Natalie Cummins, former CEO of Zenith, is joining EssenceMediacom as UK CEO.
Meanwhile, current UK CEO Kate Rowlinson has been promoted to UK CEO of EssenceMediacom parent GroupM, beginning in November.
At this point, Josh Krichefski, GroupM’s UK and EMEA CEO, will become EMEA CEO.
Since 2023, Krichefski has also served as the IPA’s president, where he has championed initiatives to improve mental health in the advertising industry. He was named the first ambassador for The Media Leader‘s Future 100 Club initiative in August.
Cummins left Zenith in May. She had previously been nominated for Agency Leader of the Year at The Media Leader Awards in 2023 and Zenith picked up the Excellence: Talent gong at the 2024 awards.
“I’ve always admired EssenceMediacom,” Cummins said. “Everyone knows it’s the biggest agency, but I think people need reminding it’s also the best. I love the simplicity of the ‘Breakthrough’ positioning; to me, it’s the perfect lever to supercharge EM to even bigger and better things.”
Nick Lawson, EssenceMediacom’s global CEO, added: “Uniting our UK operations is an important step, but bringing Natalie on board is a crucial piece of the puzzle. She’s hugely respected, an outstanding leader and a perfect cultural fit for EssenceMediacom as we look to deliver even more breakthroughs for brands. With her overseeing our UK agency, I have no doubt our teams will excel.
“We’re proud of the outstanding work we have done and continue to do, and I’m excited to see the next step in our evolution become a reality. I also want to thank Clare for her contribution to our network over the years, particularly since she returned to EMX.”
A GroupM ‘super brand’
EssenceMediacomX was founded as a sister shop in the UK after GroupM announced the merger of Essence and MediaCom in 2022 as part of parent WPP CEO Mark Read’s strategy of creating “super brands” within GroupM.
Collectively, the two agencies represent over 2,000 UK employees, making them by far the largest brand in UK media.
At an event to mark one year of the merger in February, Chapman said: “Why are we different brands here in the UK and nowhere else in the world? Client conflict.”
Notably, EssenceMediacom held the accounts of both Sky Media and BT, as well as Tesco’s business and parts of the Sainsbury’s account. EssenceMediacomX was created to handle some of these briefs.
However, in June, Sainsbury’s announced that it had moved its digital account to Omnicom agency PHD.
And now, following the loss of Sky Media, the number of major client conflicts at the agency has greatly reduced.
EssenceMediacom turns one: Conflicts, partnerships and breakthroughs
