Souk signs up JAA in media arm joint venture

Souk – the integrated agency formed last year following the merger of HDM, WDPA and Mitchell Conner Searson – is launching a media division.

MediaSouk is a joint venture with John Ayling & Associates (JAA) that will be run by Andy Brander. He spent ten years with JAA before a spell at MediaCom.

Souk says that it plans to offer creative and media planning tools to its clients from the time they start pitching for potential business. The agency believes clients want a return to closer working relationships between their media and creative agencies.

Chief executive Bill Hart says: “To move forward, we need to look at our clients’ issues from a marketing and media neutral position.”

MediaSouk will also work closely with the agency’s planning department. JAA founder John Ayling says: “Clients are increasingly disappointed with the level of media contribution to the planning process from some of the major divorced media agencies. Plans are manipulated to fit the agency deals.”

MediaSouk will be Souk’s fourth operating arm.