PRISM appoints senior sports and entertainment specialists as the business continues to expand

Ahead of a strong growth forecast and continued business expansion, WPP AUNZ specialist sports entertainment and sponsorship agency, PRISM, has boosted its senior ranks with several hires.

Industry expert Shannan Quinn (left) joins as PRISM’s managing director Australia, focussing on the day-to-day management and leadership of the business, and further growth of its client roster. Most recently at QMS Media (focusing on its sports stadia asset and rights portfolio), Quinn has also worked at 20FOUR heading up sports partnerships and talent. He brings deep marketing experience to the role, having spent four years at Mindshare (ESP) as head of sports partnerships, and nine years at Suntory, working with a raft of leading brands.

Joining Quinn on PRISM’s senior team is Brodie Watson (right), who also starts this month as group services director, bringing broad experience across sport sponsorship and activation. Watson comes from Thread Communications where he has been sponsorship and partnerships director for the past few years working with some of the country’s biggest brands, and has also held senior roles at Qantas Golf, Sydney Swans and Octagon. He has been tasked with overseeing and driving key client relationships and campaigns.

Says Justin Ricketts, chairman, PRISM AUNZ: “Shannan has a deep understanding of the sponsorship landscape, is a strategic thinker and is well connected in the sports and entertainment world. Combined with Brodie’s brand expertise and strong client management skills, the PRISM team now boasts some of the country’s best sport and entertainment talent. We’re excited to have them on board to continue PRISM’s expansion, and our ongoing focus on helping brands to become a part of every day culture and to engage with consumers via their deep passion for sport and entertainment.”

Both Quinn and Watson will work closely with PRISM’s established team as the agency aims to develop stronger relationships within WPP AUNZ and its clients. In particular, the PRISM team will focus on building a strategic relationship with GroupM in the coming months, as it looks to further expand its sponsorship and entertainment capabilities by accessing GroupM’s proprietary sponsorship evaluation tools and data analytics.

Says John Steedman, interim CEO, WPP AUNZ: “The PRISM team lives and breathes the culture of sport and entertainment, and its key purpose will always be to proactively work with its clients in a truly collaborative process. However, we’ve also identified a great opportunity for PRISM to share its capability among agencies within WPP AUNZ, and in particular, GroupM. As a result, the PRISM team will be providing specialist counsel to select parts of the GroupM business, while tapping into its global expertise and connections. We look forward to driving even more innovative partnership solutions across the group as a result.”

PRISM is part of WPP AUNZ, Australasia’s leading creative transformation company.