CIA loses £30m Ericsson brief

Ericsson has delivered a blow to CIA Medianetwork and handed all the buying and planning for its global corporate advertising business, thought to be worth more than £30m, to the Media Edge.

CIA has retained some of the communication strategy on the business.

Ericsson UK advertising manager Lindsay James says: “Media Edge will do all the planning and buying for consumer products and business to business. Media Edge will obviously work with our global creative agency Young & Rubicam.” Media Edge is owned by Y&R.

Ericsson refuses to comment on how much this piece of business is worth. However, it is thought to be worth up to £3m in the UK and more across Europe, particularly in Scandinavia where the market is strong. In the US, the business is worth about £8m.

Media Edge already holds the worldwide consumer buying and planning for Ericsson; its sister company Young & Rubicam creates the advertising. Mediapolis is the buying agency for the Media Edge in the UK.

The move follows Ericsson’s appointment of Publicis last week, to create a global branding campaign for the company. This business will be run out of the London office.

The changes come into effect in the new year.