Atomic 212° is on track for another strong year, with chief strategy officer Asier Carazo excited about the agency’s direction.
“It’s feeling great, and I’m highly motivated for what’s next. Both our clients and our people in the agency are extremely positive about 2025,” he said.
‘We’re doing something right!’
The past six months have been massive for Atomic 212° with wins, leadership changes and most recently the agency’s acquisition by Publicis Groupe ANZ.
Last month, founder and chairman of Atomic 212° Barry O’Brien OAM told Mediaweek: “We’ve grown Atomic 212° into a world-class media operation, but marketing today requires holistic services that go beyond what independent agencies can provide alone. By joining Publicis, we can offer an even better experience for our staff and clients.”
Elsewhere in the chat, O’Brien said that the move is more than just growth for the agency. “We’re joining a group that’s already on a strong trajectory. This isn’t just about getting bigger—it’s about doing better work and pushing boundaries for our clients.”
Atomic 212 leadership (L-R): Barry O’Brien, Chairman & Partner; James Dixon, Chief Data Officer & Partner; Lorraine Woods, Chief Investment & Trading Officer; Rory Heffernan, CEO; Ashleigh Carter, GM Sydney; Tom Sheppard, GM Media Technology.
For Carazo, the changes have been positive for Atomic 212°’s people and clients. He also noted that Publicis Groupe’s acquisition of the business was positive, he said: “That means we’re doing something right!
“So, looking ahead, I’m really excited to take our product and proposition to the next level now that all the changes have started to settle.”
For his role as chief strategy officer, Carazo said that he and his team will remain the same and that his focus of building the best strategy team in Australia continues.
“I really believe that growing the best and most talented strategists in the industry is the most important thing for me, regardless of the acquisition.
“That being said, we’re still fundamentally Atomic 212° and still have our indie spirit. We will continue to operate independently while having the advantage of tapping into the extra capabilities from the group whenever it makes sense and is relevant to our work.’
‘Our biggest success story to date’
AI is playing an increasing role in how strategy teams operate, particularly for Carazo and his team, who use it for data analysis.
“We’re probably one of the strategy teams in Australia doing the most data analysis because we use multiple sources, including Sonar, across all of our clients.”
Sonar, which Carazo said is his team’s “biggest success story to date”, is a market research product for brands. “It’s a game changer for our clients because it truly breaks the silo between research and media strategy. It ensures research insights directly inform how we spend media budgets, rather than just sitting in a report. Right now, it’s delivering incredible value to our clients and is also a growing revenue stream for the agency.
He said Sonar’s strength is how research is developed and tailored to their clients’ challenges, with speed being a key differentiator that sets the offering apart.
“Our ability to quickly answer client questions and provide insights efficiently is a big advantage compared to traditional research.”
For Carazo, AI helps his strategy team work fast, automate time spent on repetitive tasks. “It’s about leveraging AI for the right tasks without disrupting the quality of our work.”
Asier Carazo with Philippa Moig speaking at the MFA EX Sydney 2024
A meaningful way to connect with audiences
As trends come and go in the fast-changing industry and media landscape, Carazo highlighted the increase in polarisation in society as impacting how brands communicate and distancing themselves from DEI initiatives.
“One major shift is that platforms like Meta and Google are moving away from their DEI initiatives. As someone who has been on the MFA’s DEI Advisory Council for several years, I see firsthand how this impacts media strategy. Even if it’s not always immediately obvious, these changes affect how we think about audience segmentation and inclusive media planning,” he added.
Carazo noted that some groups’ decision to follow in the steps of big brands and completely remove DEI efforts without assessing if it makes sense for their brand as a “dangerous precedent.”
“Diversity is a fundamental part of Australia’s consumer landscape, and strategists need to ensure it’s embedded in our thinking – not as a tokenistic checkbox, but as a meaningful way to connect with audiences,” he added.
Building the team and proudly towing the DEI line
Carazo has several priorities and goals for the year ahead, one of them being the continued advocacy of DEI in media strategy.
“If big platforms are pulling back from it, I want to make sure the Australian industry doesn’t follow suit – at least not within my reach.”
He also wants to develop up and coming talent at Atomic 212° and wider industry. He said: “I’ve always been passionate about growing strategists, and I want to continue building a team of the best in the business.
“That includes giving opportunities to people outside of traditional strategy roles because, too often, people are told they need to spend 10 or so years in client services before they can move into strategy. I don’t believe in that.”
Rounding out his goals for the year is the development of Sonar. While Carazo called it a “massive success”, he noted that there is “so much more potential to refine and expand its impact on media strategy, and I can’t wait.”
Top image: Asier Carazo