Why Mainova's agency 'win' was really about not losing
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
TL;DR: Frankfurt utility Mainova has kept media agency Dunkelgrün after a multi-stage pitch — a reminder that the hardest account to win is the one you already have, and that incumbents who bring genuinely fresh thinking to a defence are the ones who keep it.
What happened
Mainova, Frankfurt's energy and water utility, ran a multi-stage media review and reappointed its incumbent agency, Dunkelgrün. The client praised media planning it called 'strategically convincing and logically sound', adding that the agency 'impressed us with fresh impulses'.
The remit covers media planning, including support for Mainova's employer-branding objectives — a small but telling detail we'll come back to.
The unglamorous truth about pitch defences
Most account reviews are won by the incumbent — but only when the incumbent treats the defence like a first date rather than a renewal form. Complacency is what actually loses accounts, not a shinier challenger.
Dunkelgrün's reported edge — 'fresh impulses' — is the whole game. The agency that already runs the business turned up as if it were trying to win it from scratch. That mindset, not the existing relationship, is what carries a defence.
Marketing Minute's read: utilities are quietly serious marketers
Energy and water brands once coasted on being essential. In a deregulated, switching-happy market — and an intense war for skilled talent — they now need real brand and employer-brand firepower to stand out.
Mainova folding employer branding into a media brief is the signal worth noticing. Recruitment has become a media-planning problem, competing for the same attention, in the same channels, as customer acquisition. Expect more 'boring' categories to invest here.
What businesses should do
If you're the client, use a pitch to pressure-test rather than simply to shop around; a strong incumbent forced to re-earn the account is often the best possible outcome. If you're the agency, never let a renewal feel automatic — the day you stop pitching your own client is the day a competitor starts.
Quick FAQ
Who won Mainova's media account?
Incumbent agency Dunkelgrün retained it after a multi-stage pitch, with Mainova praising media planning that brought 'fresh impulses'.
What does the account cover?
Media planning for the Frankfurt energy and water utility, including support for its employer-branding objectives.
Why do incumbents usually win pitch defences?
Because they know the business best — but only when they resist complacency and bring genuinely new thinking rather than treating the review as a formality.
— Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
The account you're most likely to lose is the one you've stopped pitching for — treat every renewal like a competitive review.
When did you last challenge your longest-standing agency or supplier to genuinely re-earn the relationship?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Horizont, new business.
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Written by Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
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