The country’s largest superannuation fund AustralianSuper has appointed advertising account VML to drive a marketing reset for the business as it chases growth.
The $410bn fund has appointed the WPP-owned agency to develop a long-term strategy for the business as it faces increased competition in the superannuation category with rival funds investing more in marketing.
VML will create and execute a long-term strategic brand platform and develop integrated creative marketing activity to help the deepen engagement with its 3.6 million customers while enhancing brand trust and driving sustainable growth.
AustralianSuper head of brand and growth marketing Rob Wilde, said the agency would employ an integrated approach to drive business growth, by “bringing strategy, creative and delivery together, improving efficiency and ensuring every dollar we spend works harder to support members’ retirement outcomes”.
It comes as Australia’s superannuation funds weather increased pressure from ongoing market volatility which is being driven by the geopolitical instability, particularly the conflict in the Middle East, as well as inflation concerns.
While these factors have impacted account balances through market movements, Australia’s superannuation system is designed for long-term growth and expected to maintain positive outcomes.
VML was appointed to the account following a competitive pitch.
It is the agency’s first local account win since the arrival of new Australia & New Zealand chief executive Paul Bradbury.
Bradbury joined the agency in January after 19 years with Omnicom where he served as the president and regional chief executive of TBWA.
VML clients include Ford, Nestle, The Coca-Cola Company and Lion Nathan
It boasts an integrated model, which merges brand experience, customer experience and commerce to create a unified growth system, which operates through a proprietary AI platform.
Mr Bradbury said the agency’s approach demonstrated the impact established integration could have on business growth.
“Brand shapes the expectation, customer experience fulfils it and commerce converts it,” he said.
“When these three forces operate together, they create something greater than the sum of their parts, they create a flywheel of trust and relevance that compounds over time.”
The approach is particularly relevant as agentic AI becomes more prevalent and authoritative in the relationship between brands and consumers.
“As the traditional purchase process is being compressed and in many cases is bypassed entirely, agents will make recommendations based on signals that span brand reputation, customer experience quality and competitive value,” said Mr Bradbury.
This process will prioritise the brands that present consistently across all areas including products, values, digital experiences and advertising.
“We are entering an era where your brand’s consistency across every signal, visual, verbal, experiential and transactional will determine whether an AI agent recommends you or your competitor,” Mr Bradbury said.
“Coherence and consistency across every brand touchpoint is not just good marketing strategy, it will build long-term competitive advantage.”
