Kinura’s ongoing relationship with Wunderman Thompson ensures the multi-award-winning agency runs its live streams & virtual events with as much flair as its in-person ones

Wunderman Thompson, part of the WPP Group, will be a familiar name for anybody working in marketing and communications. This multi-award-winning company was formed by the coming together of the world’s oldest ad agency (J. Walter Thompson) and a digital marketing heavyweight (Wunderman). Operating in 90 markets worldwide, and with such clients as Shell, BT, HSBC, Microsoft and Nestle, Wunderman Thompson remains at the forefront of innovation in its field.

As such, when the COVID-19 pandemic upended the events industry in spring 2020, it was imperative that the company carried forward its superlative standards into the virtual space, leading the way into a new era of digital-first communication, collaboration and engagement.

Livestream support for superlative production values

While other companies were getting to grips with their webcams and new-to-them conferencing platforms during the first lockdown, Joanna Packman, Global Content Producer at Wunderman Thompson, was investigating the possibility of outsourcing livestream production support for a client event that suddenly needed to be a virtual occasion.

“I didn’t have any knowledge of production, or any real grasp of the fact that we would be able to make our livestreams look like news broadcasts. Given the high quality that clients expect of a Wunderman Thompson piece of work, this discovery was a game changer,” she explains. After a conversation with a colleague about finding external production support, Joanna contacted Kinura on that team member’s recommendation. “Kinura not only responded immediately to what was by then a very urgent request, they walked us through the basics so that we could decide exactly the level of support that we needed. We had to come to a quick decision, but it was a no-brainer – and Kinura absolutely delivered on the day. Our client was delighted.”

Keeping it simple: better value, better outcomes

Following this success, Kinura began to work with Wunderman Thompson UK on a more regular basis, building a true partnership and becoming a preferred supplier. “Other livestream production companies we have spoken to have overcomplicated our requirements,” says Joanna. “This not only increases complexity unnecessarily – and of course complexity always carries more risk, sometimes a less impactful outcome, too – but it increases costs. Kinura have proven to be excellent value. Their quotes are always reasonable, without any compromise on responsiveness, reliability, quality or expertise. 

“It’s brilliant being able to focus on creating excellent content, knowing that we can just hand it over and they will work their magic, creating a slick, professional broadcast,” she continues. “And they take all the stress out of the big day too, with their calm professionalism and extra kit on standby just in case of any unexpected glitches. Not that we have ever experienced any problems, owing to their rigorous pre-event testing, but having that fall-back equipment ready to go ensures total peace of mind.”

Ongoing partnership, live streaming to the Metaverse

Kinura’s partnership with Wunderman Thompson has resulted in a long list of successful livestreams – mostly via MS Teams, with some events streamed live to the agency’s metaverse, built on Odyssey. 

Projects have ranged from regular town hall meetings which involve up to 5,000 participants globally (with some pre-recorded content), to live panels for internal communications events marking awareness campaigns such as the UN’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities and Global Diversity Awareness Month, plus a recap of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, in which several WT experts review and discuss the most notable and memorable work at the biggest creative marketing event globally. 

“It’s just so easy to work with Kinura and get great results”

“I’ve been so pleased with the service that Kinura has provided that I’ve not hesitated to recommend them to other parts of the business, and they are now working with seven Wunderman Thompson teams across four or five territories,” Joanna explains. “My team will continue to use them for our live stream and virtual events, they’re like an extension of ourselves. It’s just so easy to work with Kinura and get great results.”