Manning Gottlieb Media is to set up a sister operation jointly with
Nigel Allmond, the former director in charge of BT at the CIA Group’s
Negotiation Centre. The news comes amid speculation that BT will hold a
statutory media review on its pounds 160 million business within three
months.
The Allmond Partnership will be open for business ’imminently’,
according to Allmond. MGM will hold a 51/49 majority stake, with a
ratchet deal giving an initial split of 75/25. A staffing structure is
yet to be confirmed, but the company will target much larger clients
than the entrepreneurial, management-led businesses which are the focus
of MGM.
Allmond said: ’I wanted to set up in business, and chose MGM because
I’ve known Nick (Manning) and Colin (Gottlieb, MGM’s managing partners)
for a long time and I respect them. Our focus will be on people,
services and ideas rather than structures. There is also now the added
advantage of access to Omnicom’s fantastic resources.’
Gottlieb said: ’We weren’t looking to set up another business, but Nigel
was there. We are not creating MGM Two, but a complementary
operation.’
Allmond worked on the BT television account for 13 years, starting out
at IDK, and continuing when the CIA Group bought out the IDK founder,
Tony Kenyon, in February.
BT’s media task has to be reviewed by the end of 1998. It is currently
split between the Negotiation Centre and Zenith, which handles press and
radio. Allmond said: ’If I was lucky enough to be invited to pitch, it
would be a great opportunity.’
On the creative front, Sholto Douglas-Hume, BT’s head of advertising,
has denied rumours that the ’it’s good to talk’ line is to be
scrapped.
’We have some very exciting things planned for it over Christmas,’ he
explained. Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO’s creative contract runs well into
1999, when the account must be reviewed.
Headliner, p17.
