Kerry Walters established KWM Media Group 22 years ago, and the company has grown and established itself as a capable and trustworthy agency, particularly in Australia’s regional markets.
Walters spoke to Mediaweek about the impact of Covid on the business, the growing number of clients and the year ahead.
Before starting KWM Media Group, Walters worked in the tourism industry, followed by Prime Network in sales as aggregation began on Australian TV.
He later moved to Starcom Media when it began in Australia before moving back to his hometown of Newcastle, where he established his agency.
KWM Media Group is a full-service agency, which Walter said engages its clients with all aspects of the marketing wheel.
“I like to think that our model is more to do is a simple term. By that, I mean that with some of our national clients and our local clients, we do everything for them. So that would be the whole spectrum, not only media buying, online services, creative services, PR, etc.”
He noted that they have clients who only require project work and use their services. They also have clients who want to take advantage of their specialty in the regional Australian markets or do most of their work in-house and use their service as a media buyer.
As the general manager of a small team, Walters said: “I’m still very much wanting to be on the coalface every day” and working on client servicing.
In their two decades, KWM has continued to work with Camera House Group, their client since day one, and their long-time client Ray White Real Estate.
Other clients with the agency include Kip Magrath, Auto One, Leaf Free and Stevens Group.
On a local level, Walters noted that their clients have expanded to include InfraBuild Group, which includes Midalia Steel, and a dozen new regional clients.
He said: “Unashamedly, we have a very high weighting of regional clients. I’d like to think we can boast that we have a service centre and a facility available.”
Walters said KWM’s strength has been media buying and coordination, which he noted harnesses and enhances those specialty services.
“We would then engage for the client on a cooperative basis and coordinate those services from start to finish if that’s what they require,” he said.
Walters added: “I think our strength lies in clients with a strong internal or in-house marketing department that we can add as a partner, rather than an alternative. Over the years, particularly when I was working with the blue-chippers, they tend to like to do absolutely everything for a client, which is great, and they do an extremely good job of that.
“We tend to work in really well as an add on, as in an enhancement to the internal marketing department that I find these days, particularly after COVID, they’re wearing so many hats. They see a number of advantages in our model and how we do it,” he said.
KWM was not immune from the impact of Covid, like most media agencies, when the pandemic first hit. He noted that it coincided with sport’s demise, mainly when the NRL temporarily shut down.
While Walters noted that it was a devastating time for many people and businesses, KWM did not lose a client. Instead, business had dropped by 90%.
However, Walters said that although Covid had its negatives, there were positives to come out of it.
“In the nicest context, it was the most rewarding time over the last few years being able to service clients and have the ability to help them.
“Having done this for 40 odd years, it’s all good to make that almighty dollar. But at the end of the day, when I can see those clients that we’ve in some small way, through those bad times, and come out the other end, then that’s probably my outcome from COVID,” he added.
Looking to the year ahead, the KWM Media Group general manager said there is a need for the agency to find new opportunities and expand in markets across the country.
He said that supply for consumers would be a challenge, particularly in the car industry. Walters noted that the industry with the most significant growth was the health industry.
“That’s the area I’m looking forward to helping pro bono work with some of those institutions that have found a need to reach out because of the demand for their services in different ways.
“We do work for a number of institutions and organisations, and I’m getting a buzz out of that. I’m enjoying being able to help them,” Walters added.
Walters shared that the agency will expand and move to a bigger premise. He also noted that he is looking for additional staff for his regional agency and is “prospecting” for talent.
On the IMAA
KWM joined the IMAA last year, and Walters said it was because he saw a growing gap between the larger agencies and the direct market and the nationalisation of media.
“By that, I mean when I was involved in the early days at Prime when aggregation started. The government could create an equal market in every city in Australia for television.
“Now, I’m finding the frustration that the media want to centralise their services, come about from necessity, consolidating some organisations under one banner. With that comes a need for a very strong and united, independent group,” he said, noting that being part of a group with more than 100 member agencies gives lobbying power.
He added: “The other thing I am enjoying with them is the amount of education and the ability to give us a complete understanding of the media, the mediums, and the advertising industry.
“There’s not a day that goes past where we don’t have access to any cutting-edge information that we’d like.
“I found that respectfully at my age, it’s such a great way to enhance our intellect because we don’t have specialties, individually. We’re more of a broad advertising executive in each staff,” he said of his multi-talented team.
“With us, we’ve found with the independent group that their professionalism on the marketplace has been astounding in the last 12 months,” he added of the IMAA.
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Top image: Kerry Walters