MindShare wrests Ford media planning from Y&R

MindShare has won a tug of war with Young & Rubicam over the media planning on Ford’s 400m European business.

The win means MindShare, which already handles Ford’s media buying, is now the sole media services agency on all Ford brands in 19 European markets except Finland and Germany – although it is understood the situation in Germany is being reviewed.

The move concludes a realignment of Ford’s advertising, which began earlier this year when Y&R captured the bulk of the American automotive giant’s European creative work from Ogilvy & Mather. “It completes the picture for us,” says a Ford spokesman.

Media planning was left in limbo when the creative work for the Ka, Fiesta, Explorer and Focus shifted to Y&R.

The network already held the Galaxy, Puma and Cougar accounts and historically the planning on these brands. But O&M’s sister agency MindShare held on to the buying of all brands.

The two agencies have been competing for the total planning business ever since.

The win is as much a defensive success for MindShare as an offensive one. If Y&R had retained planning, it could also have sought buying. It launched its own planning brand called Media Edge in September.