Proximity London is the most awarded UK agency, a bitter-sweet accolade as the agency grapples with the fallout from being sacked by TV Licensing after the wrong statistics for the number of fee evaders caught were used in warning letters to the public. The TV Licensing account has won Proximity several awards, including a gold in this year's DMA Awards.
Former OgilvyOne CEO Mike Dodds, Proximity London's new chief executive, started work at the agency today.
The BBC is retendering the contract after a Sunday Telegraph investigation revealed the data error. Proximity apologised for "the unacceptable data inaccuracies" which occurred "due to human error in the regional evader data quoted in some TV Licensing mailings".
Chris Barraclough, a founder of BHWG, the forerunner to Proximity London, has defended the agency. "We've all experienced data foul-ups, many far more serious than quoting an inaccurate figure in a letter," Barraclough writes in his . "It happens but we rarely get fired for it....the BBC has lost its confidence and is prone to panic in the face of outraged headlines and pompous MPs like John Whittingdale. Proximity is this week's Jonathan Ross."
The agency said in a statement that it has conducted "a full investigation in co-operation with the BBC and steps have already been taken to eliminate the problem. Those responsible for the data errors have left Proximity or face disciplinary action."
It is the second year in a row that the Proximity global network has topped the global awards league, finishing nearly 200 points clear of their nearest competitor (see below). The Won Report ranks direct marketing campaigns and agencies by the quantity and quality of awards won. Proximity Worldwide has been awarded this accolade four times since the report was founded in 2003. The full report can be found at .
Top agencies for Direct Marketing 2008
1. Shackleton, Madrid 279
2. CP Comunicacion Argentina 84
3. Mark/M&C Saatchi, Sydney 78
4= Heye & Partner, Hamburg 72
4= Proximity London 72
6. Salem Sao Paulo 70
7. CP Proximity Spain 67
8. Jung von Matt, Hamburg 66
9= Ogilvy Frankfurt 64
9= BMF Sydney 64
11. Lowe + Rivet, Australia 60
12. Proximity BBDO France 56
13. Proximity/BBDO Malaysia 54
14. Giovanni DraftFCB Brazil 52
15. AIM Proximity Auckland, NZ 51
16. OgilvyOne Spain 48
17. McCann Direkte, Norway 46
18. Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney 44
19= DDB Germany, Hamburg 42
19= Proximity Germany 42
19= Ogilvy Argentina 42
Top agency networks for Direct Marketing
1. Proximity Worldwide 573
2. Ogilvy Worldwide 382
(3. Shackleton 279)
3. DDB Worldwide 240
4. Wunderman Worldwide 180
5. DraftFCB Worldwide 154
6= Rapp Collins Worldwide 146
6= Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide 146
6= Lowe Worldwide 146
9. BBDO Worldwide 130
10. Leo Burnett Worldwide 105
11. RMG Connect Worldwide 96
12. McCann Erickson Worldwide 94
13. Jung von Matt Group 84
14. TBWA\Tequila Worldwide 60
15. Publicis Worldwide 50
16. Bates Worldwide 41
17. MRM Worldwide 38
18. Atento Group 36
19. Grey Worldwide 27
20. Y&R Worldwide 18
Top holding companies by Direct Marketing 2008
1. Omnicom 1166
2. WPP 947
3. Interpublic 346
4. Publicis
5. M&C Saatchi Worldwide
6. Cossette Communications
7. Havas
8. Aegis Group
Top countries for Direct Marketing 2008
1. Germany 616
2. Spain 522
3. Australia 471
4. Canada 374
5. UK 369
6. Brazil 332
7. New Zealand 298
8. Argentina 268
9. France 227
10. USA 195
11. Malaysia 160
12. Netherlands 135
13. Sweden 131
14. Norway 130
15= Belgium 114
15= Ireland 114
17. United Arab Emirates 107
18. Denmark 100
19= Austria 88
19= Chile 88
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