Sega splits 60m Dreamcast brief

Sega has split its 60m European media buying account for the launch campaign of its Dreamcast console between Carat International and Initiative Media.

When the pitch was launched it was thought Sega wanted to use one international media network for the whole European business. But according to sources, Sega has awarded Carat the business in the UK and Spain, and Initiative the account in France and Germany.

Sega had been using media agencies on a country by country basis with Media Business, now MediaCom TMB, handling the account in the UK.

Sega awarded the creative pan-European account to WCRS in March after a pitch which is thought to have involved M&C Saatchi, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, McCann-Erickson’s Magic Hat and Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe.

The computer games company’s launch of Dreamcast represents a last-ditch attempt to recapture market share from Sony PlayStation, which dominates the console market. Sony is not due to launch its new console, PlayStation 2, in the UK until next year.

Sega spent just under 500,000 in the UK on direct marketing for the year ended June 1998, according to ACNielsen-MEAL.

Sony Analysis, page 19