CIA wins 16m Ericsson media buying account…

CIA Medianetwork has won the $25m (16m) media buying acc ount for Ericsson, the Swedish electronics giant, after a four-way pitch for the global business-to-business and corporate image advertising.

The London agency pitched against Carat, Bates Copenhagen and Media Broker/Optimedia for the business and will work alongside Media Marketing Gruppen in Stockholm, which will provide client servicing.

The decision to centralise its European media planning and buying follows a corporate decision to focus on building the Ericsson brand.

Ericsson, which holds 25 per cent of the UK mobile phone hardware market, recently appointed Wunderman Cato Johnson, Young & Rubicam’s below-the-line network, to its global branding account.

Y&R, which won the $75m (50m) global Ericsson product account earlier this year against BBDO, also handles Ericsson’s above-the-line creative account. Mediapolis handles Ericsson’s mobile phone media planning and buying.

Last week, CIA settled its dispute with Laser Sales (MW November 29) when Laser backed down from demanding that CIA Media-network agree to airtime sales deals covering 1997.

CIA’s clients include Shell, Unilever, Heinz, Lloyds TSB, Microsoft, Daewoo and Olivetti.