Focus calls £20m account review

The Focus Group is consolidating all creative and media work for its three brands, Focus Do It All (FDIA), Wickes and Focus, into a single creative and a single media agency.

BDH/TBWA is the creative incumbent on FDIA, D’Arcy handles Wickes and Ontrac holds the Focus (Great Mills) account. All three will pitch for the creative business.

Media Insight handles media for FDIA, Universal McCann is the incumbent on Wickes and MBS holds the Focus account. All three will pitch alongside OMD UK, which has been asked to pitch for the media buying account for all brands.

A Focus group spokeswoman would not disclose account budgets, although it is understood the budget is worth about &£20m.

The spokeswoman says the review will enable it to streamline the business, while keeping the three brands separate. The creative and media accounts for all the brands have already been reviewed within the past year.

Focus and FDIA marketing director Jill Keen and Wickes marketing director Colin Ball will oversee the pitch, which is expected to take place during the next few weeks.

Wickes, which was bought by the Focus Group for &£300m last year, covers the DIY enthusiasts and professional end of the market, while Focus, acquired at the beginning of this year, and FDIA cover the “softer end” of the market, such as paints and shelving.