Verizon is on a roll. After adding Wieden+Kennedy to its agency roster on the creative/strategic side and further consolidating its Sponsorship/Entertainment account by assigning a larger share of the work to Momentum Worldwide, the company has begun reviewing its “digital agency support,” as noted today in an AdAge scoop.
What does this mean?
The AdAge piece notes that the company plans to find a new digital shop within the ranks of its existing partnerships in order to “provide more support.”
Atlanta-based Publicis agency Moxie has been working on digital planning and buying for the client’s Wireless and FiOS lines for some time, and a source close to the matter tells us that the client’s decision to review its options could be bad news.
Verizon isn’t just the agency’s largest client — it provides a majority of the shop’s revenue, and the source describes it as “our sole reason to exist” (which is, of course, a slight exaggeration).
Moxie has been through a string of internal changes recently: in January, the agency closed what was once the Engauge office in Columbus, Ohio due to changes in the Nationwide account (among other factors). Its CCO Anthony Reeves also went on “extended leave” last month ago, though he is still a Moxie employee — and that move saw SVP/ECD Renee Blake move into a leadership position on the Verizon account and “Future Experience” team.
Given Verizon’s reluctance to reveal specifics about its relationships with its agencies, which “number about 40 at this point” (client’s words), we do not expect to see an official announcement regarding the review any time soon.
We reached out to both Verizon and Moxie for comment; neither party has responded.