Media agency pitch – Erste Group and Austrian savings banks select MEC

After a six-month pitch process, Erste Group Bank AG has selected its incumbent media agency MEC to manage its account of EUR 40 million annual spend across the CEE region (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, and Serbia) and, together with the Austrian savings banks, for Austria from 1 January 2017.

”The selection process was tough, but fair”, said Daniel Ratzenböck, Head of Group Brands Communication at Erste Group. ”We were looking for a partner who could offer us excellent media value, great local teams with strong planning capabilities, and leading digital expertise all at the same time. We have seen highly capable and engaged agencies during the process and we thank them for their great efforts. We have been working with MEC now for years and are confident we’re entering a new era with them guiding us through this constantly evolving media landscape.”

The pitch was managed from Erste Group’s headquarters in Austria, with the active participation of the marketing departments from all its subsidiaries in the CEE region, as well as the Austrian savings banks for Austria. MediaSense, an independent media advisory company based in London, served as a consultant in the pitch. Erste Group’s most recent media agency tender had been held in 2009.