School Reports 2012: G2 Joshua

campaignlive.co.uk, Monday, 02 April 2012 12:00AM

The WPP-owned G2 Joshua hasn't been included in Campaign's School Reports since 2007, but last year saw a change at the agency not only in name and location but in overall direction.

Recent Nectar work

Score: 7

Agency fact file: G2 Joshua
Type of agency	Integrated
Company ownership	WPP
Key personnel	Tim Hipperson chief executive
	Bobby Hui executive planning director
	Richard Jones executive creative director
	Andy Dougan joint head of client services
	Clare Cryer joint head of client services
Nielsen billings 2011	£3m
Nielsen billings 2010	£4m
Declared income	£18.4m
Total accounts at year end	25
Accounts won	7 (biggest: Chevrolet)
Accounts lost	0
Number of staff	184 (+55%)

At the end of 2011, the agency moved into JWT's Knightsbridge home, which must have given its chief executive, Tim Hipperson, a feeling of deja vu. He had left that same address as the outgoing boss of RMG Connect when it was folded into JWT.

The agency changed name for the fourth time in a decade, finally deciding on G2 Joshua (after previous incarnations including Joshua G2). It also launched its new proposition, "a connected agency for a connected world", highlighting its strengths in direct and interactive marketing.

The shop had a record year, winning seven new clients (increasing its total number by a quarter) and boosting the staff headcount by 55 per cent. Standout wins came in the form of General Motors (Chevrolet) - now its second-highest-spending account - and HSBC. It also earned a place on Coca-Cola's shopper marketing roster.

While the agency is steered tirelessly by Hipperson, the rest of its management team was faceless throughout 2011, so it would do well to shout more about its people. G2 Joshua has, however, managed to retain its direct marketing heritage while growing into new areas such as above-the-line advertising.

A case in point is the agency's humorous Nectar TV ad featuring a man finding himself in a flight check-in procedure while shopping at Sainsbury's, to promote the loyalty card's tie-up with easyJet. The campaign was a prime example of how G2 Joshua can exploit the creativity of advertising to help maintain excellent customer relations.

Score last year: n/a

How G2 Joshua rates itself: 7

"In 2011, we launched our new proposition of 'a connected agency for a connected world' and our integrated planning capability. We took part in 11 pitches and we won seven new clients and nine new brands including Hertz (interactive), Kraft (shopper marketing), GM Chevrolet (integrated) and HSBC (eCRM/CRM). In addition to this success, we've moved into newly designed offices in Knightsbridge Green and we were shortlisted for both Marketing and Campaign Direct Agency of the Year."