T-Mobile starts £260m European media review
T-Mobile is reviewing its £260m European media buying and planning business. The bulk of the business is handled by Universal McCann.
The UK T-Mobile account, one of those held by Universal McCann, is worth £20m. Universal McCann handles media buying and planning for T-Mobile in Europe apart from Germany, where the account is held by MediaCom. Both agencies are repitching, as is WPP Group-owned MindShare.
Outside the UK, T-Mobile operates in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and the US. The company also has ventures in Canada, the Netherlands, Poland and Russia.
T-Mobile moved its UK media buying and planning business out of Starcom Motive and into Universal McCann in August 2002, just after dropping creative agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty in favour of Saatchi & Saatchi.
Last year, T-Mobile axed its top marketing post, handing control of marketing to managing director Brian McBride, which sparked concern that marketing was being centralised across Europe.
T-Mobile spent £12m to become an official sponsor of the Euro 2004 football tournament. It has just signed a £2m deal with IRN Newslink, providing it with exclusive rights across commercial radio for all Euro 2004 reports.
