Carat and MindShare tussle for £83m Motorola business
Motorola is thought to have narrowed the review of its $150m (£83m) global media planning and buying business down to Carat and MindShare.
It is thought Carat has retained the business in the US and MindShare in Asia, but it is not clear yet which agency will handle the account in Europe.
UK incumbent Universal McCann has been eliminated from the pitch, and sources say that MindShare is the favourite to take over the EMEA business, despite the fact that it works with Motorola’s rival Samsung.
Motorola called the review earlier this year, the purpose being to consolidate the company’s global roster from nine to two agencies (MW June 16). A spokeswoman said at the time that the review was part of the “overall global marketing optimisation initiative” taking place at the company.
Motorola, the world’s second-biggest mobile phone manufacturer moved its US media planning and buying business into Carat from Universal McCann earlier this year. News of the review came just a month after Motorola appointed Netherlands-based 180 Amsterdam as the lead creative agency for its European advertising business (MW May 12).
It is still unclear where that decision leaves Ogilvy & Mather, which has been Motorola’s main global agency since 2000.
