What Clemenger Group does

Clemenger Group Limited is a privately held Australian holding company founded in Melbourne in 1946, operating as the parent of a network of 15+ specialized advertising and marketing communications agencies across Australia and New Zealand. The group is majority-owned (74%) by BBDO Worldwide, itself a subsidiary of Omnicom Group, embedding Clemenger within one of the world's largest agency holding company networks. The company provides a full spectrum of marketing services through differentiated subsidiaries: full-service creative agencies (Clemenger BBDO, Colenso BBDO, Marketforce, Redhanded, CHEP Network), digital transformation and marketing technology (LEVO, with 60+ technologists across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Auckland), public affairs and government relations (GRACosway, GRA Partners, GRC Partners + Porter Novelli), research and customer intelligence (Hall & Partners, Perceptive Group, Quantum Market Research with its proprietary AustraliaSCAN tool), media planning (PHD New Zealand), experiential marketing (Traffik, Creative Activation), field marketing (Clemenger Field Marketing), shopper and retail communications (Raydar), and public relations (Porter Novelli).

Clemenger Group generates revenue primarily through professional services fees — project-based engagements and retainer arrangements with major enterprise brand clients. The customer base spans telecommunications, retail, FMCG, consumer electronics, healthcare, and government, including named accounts such as Spark New Zealand, Myer, 7-Eleven, PEDIGREE, Samsung, Pepsi, and the New Zealand Ministry of Social Development. The group does not disclose pricing publicly, operating on a quote-based model with engagement terms determined by scope and client requirements. Distribution is entirely direct-to-client through each subsidiary agency's own enterprise sales and account management teams, with no intermediaries or resellers. The GTM motion is enterprise field sales, with dedicated leadership at each agency managing relationships with major brand owners.

The company's competitive position is anchored in its award-winning creative reputation (Colenso BBDO was named the world's number-one agency by Directory Big Won in 2016; Clemenger BBDO Melbourne was crowned Best Creative Agency in the World at Cannes Lions in 2017; Colenso BBDO won New Zealand's first-ever Immortal Award in 2025) and its talent development infrastructure (Clemenger University executive program running 30+ years in partnership with Melbourne Business School; staff shareholding scheme dating to 1969). Leadership transitioned in January 2022 when Les Timar became CEO, succeeding Robert Morgan who moved to the Chairman role.

Name

Clemenger Group

Legal name

Clemenger Group Limited

Website

https://cle.ms

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Clemenger Group is a privately held Australian holding company, majority-owned by BBDO Worldwide (Omnicom), operating 15+ specialized advertising and marketing communications agencies across Australia and New Zealand serving major enterprise brand clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Creative Services: Full-service advertising agency providing strategic and creative services including campaign development, brand strategy, and creative production. Revenue generated through professional fees, project-based engagements, and retainer arrangements with major brand clients.
2. Specialized Marketing Services: Revenue from specialized divisions including field marketing, experiential marketing, market research, digital transformation, public affairs, and retail communications. Multiple revenue streams from diverse service offerings across the subsidiary network.
3. Digital and Technology Services: Revenue from digital agency services, marketing technology implementation, ecommerce platforms, and custom application development through LEVO and other digital subsidiaries.
4. Media and Communications Planning: Media planning and buying services through PHD New Zealand and in-house capabilities across the group network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Clemenger Group Limited is a holding company for a group of advertising and marketing communications companies operating across Australia and New Zealand. The group delivers strategic, creative, digital, media, public affairs, market research, shopper marketing, and marketing technology services through specialized subsidiary agencies such as Clemenger BBDO, Colenso BBDO, Marketforce, Redhanded, LEVO, GRACosway, PHD New Zealand, and Porter Novelli.

Product overview

Clemenger Group is a holding company for a group of advertising and marketing communications companies operating throughout Australia and New Zealand. The portfolio includes multiple agency brands offering distinct specializations: Clemenger BBDO and Colenso BBDO as full-service creative advertising agencies; Marketforce and Redhanded for regional and specialist market communications; LEVO as a strategic design and technology consultancy focused on marketing technology, digital transformation and marketing automation; and various specialized marketing services including field marketing (Clemenger Field Marketing, Creative Activation), production (eg+ worldwide), research and customer intelligence (Hall & Partners, Perceptive Group, Quantum Market Research), and communications advisory (GRACosway, GRA Partners, GRC Partners + Porter Novelli, Porter Novelli Australia). The Group also includes Raydar as a shopper and retail communications agency, PHD New Zealand as a media agency, and FleishmanHillard Melbourne for public relations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clemenger BBDO
• Colenso BBDO
• Marketforce
• Redhanded
• Clemenger Field Marketing
• Creative Activation
• LEVO
• Hall & Partners
• Perceptive Group
• GRACosway
• Quantum Market Research
• Raydar
• eg+ worldwide
• PHD New Zealand
• GRC Partners + Porter Novelli
• Porter Novelli Australia
• GRA Partners

Quantifiable outcome

• Colenso BBDO ranked #18 globally in The One Club for Creativity's Global Creative Rankings (2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Proximity WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProximity Worldwide is a global network launched in London in 2000 as a new generation network combining direct, digital and customer relationship marketing. Clemenger Direct changed its name to Clemenger Proximity to join this network.
• Dentons Global AdvisorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGRC Partners + Porter Novelli is a New Zealand partner of Dentons Global Advisors, providing strategic communications and government relations support with access to global resources and expertise.
• Melbourne Business SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClemenger University is an immersive five-day executive leadership program run in partnership with Melbourne Business School. The annual program has run for more than 30 years, providing leadership development for senior leaders across the group.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Direct peers

• DDB Group Australia: DDB is a sibling Omnicom-owned creative network operating in Australia and New Zealand, competing head-to-head with Clemenger BBDO and Colenso BBDO for the same major brand clients across creative, digital, and shopper marketing.
• Ogilvy Australia and New Zealand: Ogilvy ANZ is a WPP-owned integrated creative, PR, and digital agency network operating across Australia and New Zealand with comparable full-service capabilities and similar enterprise client roster.
• M&C Saatchi Australia: M&C Saatchi is an independent creative agency group with strong Australian operations, competing directly with Clemenger BBDO for major brand creative mandates and offering comparable advertising services.
• TBWA\Australia and New Zealand: TBWA is another sibling Omnicom agency network in Australia and New Zealand, offering creative, media, and customer experience services in direct competition with Clemenger Group's agencies.
• Saatchi & Saatchi Australia: Saatchi & Saatchi is the Publicis-owned flagship creative network in Australia, offering integrated advertising services and competing directly with Clemenger BBDO for major brand clients.
• Leo Burnett Australia: Leo Burnett is a Publicis-owned creative agency in Australia offering integrated advertising and brand-building services comparable in scope to Clemenger's full-service creative agencies.
• Special Group: Special Group is an independent New Zealand and Australian creative agency network, competing directly with Colenso BBDO for major NZ brand clients and award recognition.

Emerging players

• Thinkerbell: Thinkerbell is an Australian-founded creative agency known for 'measured magic' approach, competing with Clemenger BBDO for major brand creative work in Australia with a strong growth trajectory.

Broad incumbents

• Dentsu Australia and New Zealand: Dentsu is a global advertising holding company with significant Australian and New Zealand operations, offering the full marketing services spectrum overlapping with Clemenger's diversified portfolio.
• WPP plc: WPP is one of the global 'Big Four' advertising holding companies, parent of Ogilvy, GroupM, VMLY&R, and other networks that compete with Clemenger Group across the AUS/NZ region across creative, media, PR, and digital.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ClemengerGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clemenger-group-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/clemenger_careers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clemenger Group