MediaCom scoops unified Pru Group’s £20m media

Prudential Group has consolidated its &£20m UK media planning and buying accounts into MediaCom following a four-way pitch.

MediaCom won the business, which includes planning and buying for the main Prudential brand, plus Egg and M&G Investments, following competition with ZenithOptimedia Group. WPP Group-owned MediaCom was incumbent on the Egg account, while ZenithOptimedia’s digital agency Zed held the M&G business.

PHD, incumbent on the Prudential UK business, and Universal McCann were involved at an earlier stage. Chief marketing officer Alison Wright, who was promoted to the group role from Egg following the departure of Prudential UK and Europe marketing director Roger Ramsden earlier this year, oversaw the review.

Wright was tasked with overseeing the group’s &£40m marketing budget in the UK and took up the post just four months after joining Egg from WCRS, where she led the Abbey account. Previously, she was managing director at media agency Manning Gottlieb OMD.

Prudential Group chiefs were understood to have ordered the review following its decision last year to buy back the 22% of Egg it did not own and the appointment of UK chief executive Nick Prettejohn (MW December 8). Agencies were approached to pitch in March this year. Prudential refused to confirm the agency appointments.

Group results announced last week showed Egg had slumped to an operating loss of &£39m in the first half of the year, reflecting higher bad-debt charges. In total, Prudential posted a 48% hike in first-half net profit.