What Cummins & Partners does

Cummins & Partners is an independent Australian creative and media agency founded approximately 1993, headquartered in Melbourne (St Kilda) with additional offices in Sydney and New York City. The firm operates a unified creative-plus-media model, offering five interconnected service lines: Growth Opportunity Diagnostic, Brand Platform System, Campaign Impact Deployment, Marketing Effectiveness Optimisation, and Future Growth Leadership. Its stated differentiator is the integration of entertainment-led creative development with data-fuelled media planning, buying, and effectiveness measurement under a single team rather than split between separate creative and media shops. The agency's underlying technology stack is not a proprietary platform; rather, it is an applied combination of creative production tools, AI image generation (used in the Alfa Romeo 'Alfa AI' supercar campaign), automation, and analytics capabilities including Marketing Mix Modelling, creative optimisation, and audience learning that support media planning and continuous campaign optimisation.

The firm's revenue model is professional services / managed services, monetised through fees for creative strategy and campaign development, media planning and buying, and long-term strategic consultancy retainers. Pricing is negotiated on a project-by-project and retainer basis with no public pricing. GTM is sales-led and direct, with relationships established with brand owners, CMOs, and marketing directors primarily in Australia. Customer segments span three primary groups: large enterprise brands (e.g., Alfa Romeo, Jeep, McCain, Nike, Doordash, Specsavers), government and public sector clients (e.g., AusNet, City of Melbourne, Road Safety Advisory Council, Australian Red Cross), and non-profit organisations (e.g., Royal Flying Doctors, Beyond Blue, WIRES, Movember). The most strategically significant relationship is a 15+ year partnership with Stellantis covering Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Fiat, and Leapmotor brands, supplemented by multi-year engagements with McCain and other enterprise clients across automotive, food and beverage, utilities, healthcare, retail, and sports verticals.

Name

Cummins & Partners

Legal name

Cummins & Partners

Website

https://cumminsandpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cummins & Partners is an independent Australian creative and media agency serving enterprise brands, government, and NGOs with integrated advertising campaigns. Founded ~1993, the firm operates from Melbourne, Sydney, and New York, combining creative strategy, media planning/buying, and strategic consultancy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (54183), Public Relations Agencies (541820)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Creative advertising services
• Media planning buying
• Brand strategy campaigns
• Integrated marketing agency
• Campaign content production

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Kilda

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative Strategy & Campaign Development: Fees for developing brand platforms, creative strategies, campaign concepts, and content production across multiple channels
2. Media Planning & Buying: Fees for media planning, buying, and optimization services across digital, OOH, social, and traditional channels
3. Strategic Consultancy: Long-term strategic partnership fees including marketing planning, campaign systems, and ongoing creative and media leadership

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cummins & Partners is an independent creative and media agency that develops brand platforms, creative strategies, and integrated advertising campaigns while also providing media planning, buying, and optimization across digital, out-of-home, social, and traditional channels. The agency delivers end-to-end creative and media services for large brand owners, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, combining entertainment-led creative with data-fuelled media strategy.

Product overview

Cummins & Partners is an independent creative advertising agency that offers a unified suite of creative and media services. The agency provides five interconnected service offerings: Growth Opportunity Diagnostic (identifying brand growth opportunities), Brand Platform System (building long-term brand and creative platforms), Campaign Impact Deployment (launching and scaling campaigns across channels), Marketing Effectiveness Optimisation (improving marketing performance through data-driven approaches), and Future Growth Leadership (long-term strategic partnerships). The agency combines creative development with strategically focused, data-fuelled media services, powered by automation and AI technologies. With over 30 years of experience, they serve clients across automotive, government, healthcare, food, and retail sectors in Australia and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Growth Opportunity Diagnostic Strategic service to identify growth opportunities for brands through creative strategy, brand strategy, market analysis, workshops, consultancy, and business analysis, aimed at enterprise marketing decision-makers.
• Brand Platform System Service to build long-term brand and creative platforms, including creative strategy, brand strategy, and campaign strategy development for enterprise brands.
• Campaign Impact Deployment Service to launch and scale campaigns across channels, including media planning, media buying, social activation, PR amplification, production, and campaign management for brand owners.
• Marketing Effectiveness Optimisation Service to continuously improve marketing performance through Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM), creative optimisation, content system development, audience learning, and media optimisation.
• Future Growth Leadership Long-term strategic partnership service including strategic consultancy, marketing planning, campaign systems, project management, and ongoing creative and media leadership for enterprise clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7-fold sales increase for Jeep 'I Bought A Jeep' campaign
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stellantis (Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Fiat, Leapmotor)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term creative partnership spanning 15+ years across Stellantis brand portfolio including Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Fiat, and Leapmotor. Agency serves as strategic creative partner handling brand campaigns, product launches, and ongoing brand management across the automotive catalogue.
• WIRES (Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable partnership for Koalas of NYC campaign during 2019/2020 Australian bushfires. WIRES served as the donation recipient for the viral plush koala campaign that raised funds for wildlife rescue efforts.
• Channel 7 SunriseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership for Leapmotor C10 EV launch featuring helicopter giveaway on Sunrise morning show. Partnership provided high-visibility platform for brand introduction to Australian market.
• FOX Footy & AFLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcast partnership expanding McCain's brand integration into sports media, extending reach through Australian Rules Football content and viewership.
• The Betoota AdvocateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAustralian satirical news outlet partnership for McCain brand content, providing authentic Australian voice and comedic approach to marketing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• M&C Saatchi Australia: Part of the M&C Saatchi global network, with strong Australian presence in integrated brand campaigns. Comparable in client roster and full-service creative-and-media scope.
• BMF Advertising: Australian independent creative agency with a similar integrated creative-and-media offering, recognized for culturally resonant campaigns. Direct competitor for ANZ brand clients and overlapping industry verticals (FMCG, retail, government).
• Thinkerbell: Australia-headquartered independent agency blending creative, media, PR, and experience design under one model. Highly comparable operating structure and target market of major Australian brands.
• Special Group: Independent creative agency with ANZ footprint (Australia and New Zealand), known for bold creative work and integrated campaigns. Directly comparable operating model and client types.
• Mother (Mother London / New York): Independent global creative agency with offices in New York and other major markets. Comparable integrated creative model and global brand ambitions, particularly relevant given Cummins & Partners' NYC presence.

Broad incumbents

• Leo Burnett Australia: Australian arm of Publicis-owned Leo Burnett network, offering full-service creative and media at global scale. Competitor for major brand pitches and a benchmark for enterprise-client servicing in ANZ.
• Droga5 (part of Accenture Song): Globally recognized creative agency within Accenture Song offering brand strategy, creative, and integrated campaign work. Comparable creative ambition and tier of clients, though operating at much larger scale.
• Wieden+Kennedy: Iconic independent creative network known for integrated brand storytelling and long-term client partnerships. Comparable in creative reputation and brand-building expertise, though at significantly larger scale.
• Dentsu Creative Australia: Creative arm of Dentsu International operating in Australia, offering integrated creative, media, and customer experience services. Direct competitor for major ANZ brand briefs and government contracts.
• TBWA Australia: Australian arm of TBWA Worldwide within the Omnicom network, offering full-service creative and media. Comparable in servicing multinational and Australian brand clients, often competing head-to-head on enterprise pitches.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cumminspartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cummins & Partners