Cases

Nordea | Agency Search

Financial Institution

Client

Nordea is recognised as the leading provider of financial services in the Nordic and Baltic Sea region. Nordea has around 10 million customers, approximately 1,400 branch offices and a leading net banking position with 6.1 million e-customers.

Challenge

The challenge was to assist Group Marketing and Group Sourcing in facilitating a pan-Nordic agency search process with key focus on integrating the individual Nordea markets.

Impact

The impact of the agency search initially aligned Nordea internally to achieve common agency needs.
Furthermore, the contribution was an effective agency search activating the right agency partners with an in-depth understanding of financial institutions, whilst running the process in a transparent and fact-based way to improve the output of the final agency setup.

Testimonial

"Hestbæk Consult assisted Nordea on a multi country agency search process. Both us as clients and the participating agencies valued the professional, objective and effective process that helped us finalise the search for new agency partner. I am convinced that the involvement of Hestbæk Consult helped us significantly reduce the internal resource investment on the search process and improved the overall quality of the final evaluations and the entire process within our organisation."
Petri Nikkilä, Executive Vice President, Head of Sales, Customer Development and Group Marketing, Nordea

"Hestbaek Consult created value in the following areas in the Nordea pitch:
Running the pitch process professionally combined with clear and non-partial communication throughout the process. Secure common understanding at all times.
Communication between the pitch meetings which improve results for both client and agency.
More clear evaluation/success criteria in the pitch process."
Johnny Henriksen, CEO, DDB

RSA Insurance Group | Agency Search

Financial Institutions

Client

RSA Insurance Group plc, commonly known as RSA, is a global general insurance company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. RSA has over 20 million customers in 36 countries in Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

Challenge

The challenge was to assist Group Marketing and Group Sourcing in facilitating a pan-Nordic agency search process with key focus on indentifying and creating synergies between the RSA brands Codan and Trygg-Hansa in a new agency setup. Throughout the process, it was essential to keep the tight timeline, whilst maintaining a transparent and fact based process.

Impact

The impact was an effective agency search activating the right agency partners with strong capabilities within financial institutions as well as a proven track record of creating strong positioning for 2 brands in the same industry, Codan & Trygg-Hansa.

Testimonial

"Hestbæk Consult is made of sharp, committed and dedicated professionals. Hestbæk supported us in the Nordic pitch process in many aspects: timeline, internal/external communication, process compliance, contract design and an overall transparent pitch process. Their methodology and market knowledge is of high quality and would be of interest for any marketing procurement specialist. The project was driven under tough deadlines which they handled in a very professional way.
Furthermore, they possess a very collaborative working style and made negotiations preparations very interactive and inspiring."
Laurence Videau, Strategic Sourcing Manager Healthcare & Marketing, Codan/Trygg-Hansa , RSA Group Scandinavia

"Hestbæk Consult was a pleasure to work in the pitch process on RSA Group. Hestbæk Consult conducted a very open dialogue about the clients search criteria’s and needs and a very straightforward and transparent process. Hestbæk Consult truly seeks a win win situation, meaning that the better informed the agency is the better they can show their skills and competencies, the better a process the client gets – ultimately a perfect match between client, brand and agency is found."
Jimmy Schougaard, CEO, Ogilvy Denmark

TOP-TOY A/S | Agency Search

Retail

Client

TOP-TOY is the leading toy manufacturer and distributer in Northern Europe.
TOP-TOY is the holding company for BR Toys, TOYS'R'US in the Nordic region, retail distributer K.E. Mathiasen and TOP-TOY Hong Kong Ltd and owns approximately 300 retail stores with 3.000 employees.

Challenge

The challenge was to assist TOP-TOY in facilitating a pan-Nordic agency search process with key focus on creating a centralized agency setup, whilst integrating strong planning capabilities and insights from the individual markets. Furthermore, ensuring a differentiating positioning of the two brands in the same industry, BR and TOYS'R'US.

Impact

The impact was an effective agency search activating the right agency partners with strong retail capabilities and with proven track record of creating strong positioning for 2 brands in the same industry.
Furthermore, running the process in a transparent and fact-based way to improve the output of the final agency setup whilst representing TOP-TOY as a professional client towards the agency landscape.

Testimonial

"I have worked with Hestbæk Consult on the pitch for a new advertising agency for the Nordic toy retail chains BR and TOYS'R'US.
I experienced Hestbæk Consult as a highly competent and experienced partner adding real value to our organization throughout the process from objective settings on the agency screening to the final agency pitch itself.
Hestbæk Consult was my security that we conducted the agency pitch in the most professional, fair and competent way securing that we selected the best suited agency matching our objectives whilst ensuring all involved agencies were secured a fair process throughout.
Further Hestbæk Consult handled practicalities throughout the process and acted as mediator between us and the involved agencies.
Based on the above I give my best recommendations on Hestbæk Consult as professional agency pitch consultants"
Morten Holst Boye, General Marketing and Merchandising Director, TOP-TOY A/S

Vestas Wind Systems | Agency Search

Energy

Client

Vestas is the pioneer and the leading supplier within the wind energy industry. Vestas has developed, manufactured and installed more than 40,000 wind turbines in 63 countries on five continents. Vestas employs more than 20,000 people globally.

Challenge

The challenge was to assist Group Marketing and Customer Insight in a global lead agency search process with key focus on creating a strong internal, as well as external brand and communication platform.

Impact

The impact was an effective agency search process identifying agency teams across multiple markets to work cohesively with Vestas local marketing.
Furthermore, activating the right agency personnel with an in-depth understanding of the energy sector as well as thought leaders within sustainability in Vestas key markets.

Testimonial

"Hestbæk Consult’s methodology, tools and processes for selecting agencies significantly improved the output of our global lead agency search process. Qualitative as well as quantitative evaluations were integrated throughout the process ensuring a fact-based and transparent process both directly to me as well as to other key stakeholders in my organization. Furthermore, Hestbæk Consult dealt with a lot of the handling involved in the process ensuring the agency landscape was dealt with in a professional manner on behalf of Vestas."
Kasper Granat, Senior Project Manager, Group Marketing & Customer Insights, Vestas (now Head of Marketing, Louis Nielsen/Specsavers)

"Hestbæk Consult brings a thoughtful combination of guidance and fairness to each of the search and consulting engagements they lead.
Our experience with Hestbæk Consult in the global Vestas pitch was one of openness and fairness representing both our views to their client and the client's views to us. Hestbæk Consult enabled a free flow of information and we felt them an enormous asset in making the pitch a professional process. "
Matt Ryan, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Euro RSCG

IC Companys A/S | Agency Optimization

Retail - Clothes

Client

IC Companys A/S ranks among the largest clothing companies in Northern Europe with more than 2,200 employees. IC Companys has sales companies in 11 countries and their brands are sold in retail and franchise stores via close to 11,000 distributors in more than 40 countries.

Challenge

The challenge was to assist the strategic business units in introducing performance evaluation of their individual lead agencies.
Key focus was to create transparency on the agency relationship, whilst ensuring the agency understood that the process was facilitated in order to strengthen and prolong the client/agency relationship.

Impact

A clear knowledge on the agency performance in the working relationship as well as a clear action plan both for IC Companys and agency personnel on potential improvement areas.

Testimonial

For full testimonial please contact:
Annette Thomsen, Managing Director, Brand Farm, IC Companys

Or contact Managing Director Dan Hestbæk for full case presentation.

H. Lundbeck A/S | Agency Optimization

Pharmaceuticals

Client

Lundbeck is a global pharmaceutical company conducting research and development, production, marketing, selling and distributing pharmaceuticals for the treatment of disorders in the central nervous system (CNS).
Lundbeck employs 5,900 people in 56 countries with revenue of approximately EURO 2 billion in 2009.

Challenge

The challenge was to assist Strategic Marketing in introducing performance evaluation of global lead agency.
Key focus was to create transparency on the agency relationship whilst ensuring the agency understood the process was facilitated to strengthen and prolong the client/agency relationship.

Impact

A clear knowledge on agency performance in the working relationship as well as a clear action plan both for Lundbeck as well as agency personnel on potential improvement areas.

Testimonial

For full testimonial please contact:
Søren Skjold Mogensen, Executive Director, Strategic Marketing, H. Lundbeck A/S

Or contact Managing Director Dan Hestbæk for full case presentation.

Vestas Wind Systems | Agency Optimization

Energy

Client

Vestas is the pioneer and the leading supplier within the wind energy industry. Vestas has developed, manufactured and installed more than 40,000 wind turbines in 63 countries on five continents. Vestas employs more than 20,000 people globally.

Challenge

The challenge was to assist Group Marketing and Customer Insight in performance evaluating global lead agency with key focus on creating transparency on the agency relationship.

Impact

A clear knowledge on agency performance in the working relationship which was utilized in a performance pay model around the Hainsight Benchmark Index.
A clear action plan both for Vestas as well as agency personnel on possible improvement areas.

Testimonial

"Through their offered services, Hestbæk Consult has an excellent understanding of client-agency relationships. This thorough understanding combined with their proprietary Hainsight evaluation system was the key reason for Vestas to use Hestbæk Consult in our global lead agency evaluations.
Today Vestas uses Hainsight to evaluate and quantify our agency relations to create transparency on our existing working relationship as well as to identify possible improvement areas both for the agencies and involved Vestas personnel. Furthermore, Hainsight facilitates an objective performance remuneration based on the agency scores versus the global Hainsight Benchmark Index."
Kasper Granat, Senior Project Manager, Group Marketing & Customer Insights, Vestas (now Head of Marketing, Louis Nielsen/Specsavers)

American Express Company | Marketing Excellence | Validation

Financial Institutions

Client

American Express Company (AMEX) is a diversified global financial services company headquartered in New York City. The company is best known for its credit card, charge card, and travelers cheque businesses. Amex cards account for approximately 24 % of the total dollar volume of credit card transactions in the US, the highest of any card issuer.

Challenge

Confidential – To be shared upon request.

Impact

Confidential – To be shared upon request.

Testimonial

"Dan Hestbæk is a top tier Marketing Management Consultant whose accomplishments when it comes to marketing excellence and Agency knowledge, are second to none. He is bright, articulate and freely shares his knowledge with wit and directness. He approaches both life and the consulting process with integrity, knowledge and a “can do” attitude.
I recommend Dan Hestbæk as well as his team without hesitation."
Camilla Allin Hansen, Director, Global Commercial Card Risk Management, American Express New York

Novo Nordisk A/S | Marketing Excellence | Process

Pharmaceuticals

Client

Novo Nordisk manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and services.
Today, Novo Nordisk is one of the world's leading companies in diabetes care with international production facilities in seven countries, affiliates or offices in 76 countries.
Novo Nordisk employs approximately 29,000 people globally and markets its products in 179 countries.
In 2010, Novo Nordisk was ranked 25 among 100 Best companies to work for by Fortune.

Challenge

The challenge was to assist Group Sourcing in structuring a process for building a global agency evaluation and performance monitor system for 5,500 Novo Nordisk employees around the world.

Impact

The process resulted in a new agency evaluation methodology founded on the Novo Nordisk values as well as thorough consulting knowhow from Hestbæk Consult and agency data knowhow from Hainsight.com.
The new evaluation system is now being implemented towards all Novo Nordisk agencies globally and is used to evaluate agencies project by project as well as monitor agency performance on a global scale.

Testimonial

For full testimonial please contact:
Mikkel L. Larsen, Lead Negotiator - Corporate Sourcing, Novo Nordisk A/S

Or contact Managing Director Dan Hestbæk for full case presentation.

The Coca-Cola Company | Marketing Excellence | Process

FMCG

Client

The Coca-Cola Company is a beverage company, manufacturer, distributor, bottler, and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. Coca-Cola currently offers more than 400 brands in over 200 countries or territories and serves 1.6 billion servings each day.

Challenge

Confidential

Impact

Confidential

Testimonial

"The Hestbæk Consult Team is truly bringing new value to the Marketing, Advertising, Communications and Media landscape. The expertise they bring via their progressive approach to using professional and transparent tools and processes is only surpassed by their innate knowledge of the Agency landscape -- from a local, regional & global perspective.
Clients, Agencies & Partners who have the opportunity to work with Hestbæk Consult will undoubtedly be taking an important step forward in driving effectiveness & efficiencies for their respective businesses."
Chris Tanca, Central & Southern Europe Marketing Manager, The Coca-Cola Company

Vodafone | Marketing Excellence | Validation

Telecommunications

Client

Vodafone is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second largest measured by subscribers with 347 million proportionate subscribers operating networks in 31 countries and partner networks in a further 44 countries.

Challenge

Confidential

Impact

Confidential

Testimonial

"Dan is an insightful marketing professional with an excellent understanding of client-agency relationships.
Hestbæk Consults processes, tools and performance measurements would assist any business interested in best practice within agency handling as well as reaching next level in marketing excellence.
I highly recommend the team at Hestbæk Consult."
Lutfu Kitapci, Head of Consumer Mass Marketing, Vodafone Turkey