Here’s a bold statement: RMIT University is shaking up its media strategy, and it’s bound to spark some debate. But here’s where it gets controversial—after a five-year run, the university has decided to put its media planning and buying account up for grabs, effectively putting its current agency, The Media Store, on notice. This move comes as RMIT, which spent a whopping $27 million on global advertising in 2024, seeks fresh perspectives as part of a comprehensive review.
For context, The Media Store, led by CEO Stephen Leeds, has held the account since 2021. Leeds confirmed to Mumbrella that the agency will re-pitch to retain the business. Interestingly, 2021 marked a turning point for RMIT’s advertising efforts, as the university rebooted its domestic campaigns after drastically cutting spending to just $3.7 million in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. And this is the part most people miss—just two years after appointing The Media Store, RMIT consolidated its brand and creative briefs, awarding a new, unified account to Dentsu Creative in a move that streamlined its marketing efforts.
According to RMIT’s 2024 annual report, the university invested $14.6 million in domestic brand advertising and a staggering $26.9 million across its global entities, including RMIT Vietnam. These numbers highlight the scale and complexity of the account up for grabs. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, RMIT bid farewell to its marketing leader, Chaminda Ranasinghe, who joined as CMO in 2018 and later became chief experience officer in 2020. Ranasinghe, who departed in May 2025 to join JMC Academy as chief customer officer, played a pivotal role in overseeing global marketing, student recruitment, market intelligence, and digital experiences for students and alumni.
Here’s the twist—his position hasn’t been directly replaced. Instead, oversight of these critical functions now falls under Layton Pike, the interim deputy vice-chancellor of international and engagement, with Carmen Gould serving as director of global marketing. This shift raises questions about RMIT’s future marketing direction and whether this restructure will influence the outcome of the media account pitch.
So, what does this mean for the industry? Is RMIT’s decision to reopen the pitch a sign of dissatisfaction, or simply a strategic move to explore new opportunities? And how will the absence of a dedicated marketing leader impact the university’s approach to this high-stakes review? We want to hear from you—do you think RMIT is making the right call, or is this a risky move? Share your thoughts in the comments below and let’s spark a conversation!
