10 years of MEC

MEC (Mediaedge:cia) was created in 2002 from the first ever merger in WPP’s history of two of the industry’s most innovative independent businesses: The Media Edge and CIA. The Media Edge pioneered the concept of the independent media agency in North America and CIA was Europe’s first-ever media independent.

MEC was the first media agency to create a specialist digital operation, Outrider, in 1995. Against the trend, MEC fully integrated their specialist digital services within the agency in 2003, enabling them to offer a seamless Paid Owned and Earned product to clients. A founding partner of GroupM in 2003, MEC pioneered the concept of group trading and GroupM remains a unique and ground-breaking concept in our industry.

In 2007 was a big year for MEC. Firstly MEC Bravo was launched, now the third largest integrated multi-cultural agency in the US. Then the agency integrated its 30 market-strong specialist Sports, Sponsorship and Cause marketing services under MEC Access creating a world-leading position overnight.

In 2010, the agency led the way again in by integrating their specialist Analytics and Insight groups. The move was critical in being able to address the future needs of their clients; giving them even bigger and better cross-over opportunities, by better understanding the effects of digital and traditional media in the purchase pathway.

That same year the game changing ‘action leadership’ Are you in control enough to let go? was published and shared with over 200 clients around the world – providing a roadmap for their (and MEC’s) media future.

We’ve achieved a lot since our launch in 2002. In the past ten years we have more than doubled in size and we were named RECMA’s fastest growing network of the decade. Our global network was named media agency of the year in both 2006 and 2007 by Advertising Age and Adweek, an unprecedented honour; and we’ve racked-up 53 local Agency of the Year awards all over the world in the decade.

We constantly challenge ourselves to accelerate change. Keeping pace with today’s communications landscape continues to occupy most of our waking hours. Our ability to provide strategic leadership to our clients in this environment is the key to our future.

It’s been an exceptional ten years. The ‘challenger’ in us is alive and well. But at MEC, we’ve always had the confidence and commitment to push through change on a global scale where it benefits our clients and our people.

We look forward to the next ten with relish and excitement

Charles Courtier

Global CEO MEC