UCI awards £3m cinema brief to CIA
United Cinemas International has appointed CIA Media Solutions (Manchester) to its &£3m media planning and buying account after a three-way pitch.
The account was previously handled by Universal McCann in London, which had held the business for five years. CIA also pitched against Mediacom TMB North.
CIA client services director Emma Slater says: “The cinema sector is one of the most dynamic in the industry and UCI is at the forefront of that innovation. This runs in parallel with CIA’s modus operandi.”
UCI operates 35 multiplex cinemas across the UK and is planning to launch three more in the next year, including one at the Manchester Printworks development.
UCI head of marketing Janet Smith says: “We were looking for a media partner which could not only demonstrate a clear understanding of our marketing objective but also implement them effectively and creatively – we found these qualities at CIA.”
CIA Manchester is likely to be the main beneficiary if WPP Group decides to close its MindShare Manchester office following the loss of the Greenalls and Plumbs stretch cover accounts.
