Reckitt switches 50m Euro account to McCann

Reckitt & Colman is shifting its estimated 50m pan-European business out of the EURO RSCG network and into McCann-Erickson.

Brands such as Immac, Mr Sheen, Steradent and Woolite are involved in the switch, which was decided by Reckitt’s European marketing director, Cynzia Morelli Verhogg, who heads its strategic European marketing team.

When EURO RSCG picked up the business in 13 categories last year, it was estimated to be worth 50m (MW January 12 1996).

The move is the final consolidation of the household goods products advertising business. The review began 18 months ago, when Reckitt cut its agency roster and divided its global business between the EURO RSCG network and its other main roster agency, McCann-Erickson, which took the lion’s share of the business.

In the UK, Reckitt spent less than 2m in the 12 months to the end of March.

“Reckitt & Colman does not do enough advertising to justify having two agencies,” says one source. “It is having problems getting worldwide ads to run across the world.”

Kate Whittaker, Reckitt’s European communications manager, says: “This is a regional decision. Business across Europe is very complex, the strategy is to drive out the complexity and one way of doing that is to consolidate agencies.”

The pan-European media account with TMD Carat is not affected by the decision.