My last post (IS YOUR MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT NOW YOUR CREATIVE PARTNER?) was of interest to almost no one. Despite that, and acknowledging in advance that it is bad marketing to do so, I’d like to continue on that same thread.

According to Adweek/Agency Spy today, international accounting giant PwC (virtually tied with Deloitte for the #1 spot) has issued an RFP for its own digital media planning and execution. [1]

Important background:

PwC is deep in the marketing agency business with their CMO Advisory unit (presumably for better or cheaper marketing strategy and creative services than traditional agencies provide) and their internal agency called Digital Services (presumably for better or cheaper digital content creation than traditional agencies provide). Digital Services employs 3,000 creatives/digital experts serving 200 clients in 31 offices. It did $750 million in revenue in 2014, making it the fourth-biggest agency network in the US, according to AdAge Datacenter.

I’m puzzled by two things here:

  1. Given the nature of their core accounting business, why wasn’t digital media planning and execution the first marketing-related business PwC got into? Isn’t programmatic right up their alley?
  2. Although the RFP is officially for digital media services, the article’s writer indicates sources ‘close to the matter’ report the scope of work includes creative. Huh? PWC goes to outside experts for its own marketing creative, despite the fact that its internal marketing expertise is more than adequate for its own clients?

I’m hoping a clarification and/or revision of the facts will resulting this making some sense. If not, feel free to provide your opinion.

Notes and references:
  1. Patrick Coffee, “Consultancy PwC Launches a New, Comprehensive Agency Review“, Agency Spy, February. 6, 2017.
  2. Main image credit: still from ‘Dazed and Confused’, 1993 American coming-of-age comedy film, starring a host of then-anonymous-latter-famous actors, including Matthew McConaughey (pictured) and Ben Affleck.