Beacon Lighting calls a media pitch, putting Dentsu's Carat on notice

By James Dore · 2026-10-22

The review

Beacon Lighting has called a media pitch, putting its incumbent agency of eight years, Dentsu's Carat Victoria, on notice. The Melbourne-founded retailer is understood to be in the early stages of reviewing the account, which covers paid media strategy, planning and buying across brand, performance and programmatic. The review will also consider whether some media functions should be brought in-house, Mumbrella reported.^[1]

Carat Victoria won the account from OMD in 2018.^[1] It expanded the relationship in 2021 and, in April 2024, renewed it for a further three years. "We are incredibly proud to be continuing our partnership with Beacon Lighting," Carat Victoria managing director Richard Lehocz said at the time.^[3]

Media partnerships are a big part of the account: Beacon is a long-term sponsor of Nine's The Block. Mumbrella said it had sought comment from Dentsu and from chief marketing officer Prue Robinson, who has been with the retailer for more than two decades and became CMO in December 2023.^[1]

What Beacon spends

Beacon's annual report puts its marketing expense at $16.4 million for FY2026, up from $16.1 million a year earlier. The company reported underlying sales of $340.3 million and underlying net profit after tax of $28.1 million, from 130 stores, 129 of them company-owned.^[2]

The business is leaning harder into trade customers. Trade sales through its stores rose 14.5% in FY2026, and the company lists marketing and engagement among the workstreams in its outlook.^[2] Robinson is both CMO and an executive director of the company.^[2]

James Dore

James Dore is founder and editor of Prompt the Market and Strategy Director at Bushnote, a Sydney strategy, SEO and AI search agency. He has a background in strategy, media and financial services, and led consumer product marketing at MONEYME. He writes on AI search, answer engines, technology policy and media economics.