Dell awards £850m global media account to MediaCom

by Jacquie Bowser, Brand Republic 11-Feb-08, 15:35

LONDON - MediaCom has been handed Dell's £850m global media planning and buying account, following the computer manufacturer's consolidation of its entire global marketing business into WPP last December.

MediaCom will now handle all of Dell's media planning and buying duties, including television, radio, digital and direct marketing.

Aegis' Carat, the European incumbent, has held Dell's European media planning and buying account since November 2006. The EMEA part of the account is estimated to be worth £150m.

The move follows Dell's decision last December to consolidate its global advertising account, worth $4.5bn in billings over three years, into WPP.

The world's second-largest marketing services group is setting up a standalone agency within WPP, under the project codename DaVinci, to handle the mammoth account, which previously spanned 800 different agencies.

Dell took the decision to consolidate its global advertising account amid fierce competition from its biggest rival HP, which took the top spot in global sales from Dell last year, and through a desire to raise brand profile.