Agencies vie for CNN Euro ad campaign

Global cable news station Cable News Network (CNN) is looking for an advertising agency to devise a campaign reflecting the growing regionalisation of its service.

The station has seen a number of London agencies but it is understood that no shortlist has been drawn up. It is also unclear what media the campaign will use.

In April, CNN appointed Media-Com as its media agency. It has no full-time creative agency.

The agency is likely to operate on a pan-European basis since, for the past 12 months, the station has been developing four distinct strands of regional programming. These services cover Asia, the US, Europe, and Latin America.

The station claims that 80 per cent of its programming on CNN International, which covers all the network’s programming outside the US, is now generated specifically for an international audience and is distinct from its US material.

Chris Cramer, vice-president and managing editor of CNN International, says: “CNN International is aggressively regionalising its programming to give it a more local feel for international viewers, whether they are in Europe, Asia, or Latin America.”

A spokeswoman for CNN adds: “We are following a number of regional initiatives at the moment and some of them include plans for advertising.”