Times Media switches £15m ad account to CHI

by Darren Davidson, Brand Republic 16-Oct-07, 11:35

LONDON - Times Media has switched its £15m advertising account to the Telegraph Group's agency CHI & Partners, ending a 12-year relationship with Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R.

The move comes just weeks after Katie Vanneck arrived at Times Media from the Telegraph Group to head up its sales and marketing function. Times Media has also given notice to its digital agency, Joshua.

Vanneck worked with CHI up until July as the marketing director of Telegraph Media Group. CHI's winning of the account is likely to force the agency to resign the £8m Telegraph account, according to sources close to the situation.

CHI is understood to be in on-going talks with the Telegraph and a decision is expected imminently.

Although The Times account is moving agencies, it remains within the WPP Group, which has a 49% stake in CHI.

It is understood the move does not affect Times Media's media planning and buying business, which is handled by MindShare.

Vanneck resigned her previous role at the Telegraph in July to return to Times Media, where she had worked two years before.

In her previous role at Times Media, Vanneck held the post of promotions director, before she was lured over by Murdoch MacLennan, chief executive of Telegraph Media Group, to head up marketing.

Vanneck said: "CHI & Partners is a media-neutral, fully integrated agency whose structure and approach mirrors that of our business offering us a one-stop shop for all of our marketing activity."

Johnny Hornby, founding partner at CHI & Partners, said: "Times Media incorporates a lot more than two great newspapers, they are producing fantastic and engaging content across a range of channels and understanding how consumers want to interact with those different channels -- that's also what the one agency approach of CHI & Partners aims to deliver in communications".