Manning Gottlieb Media has won the media planning and buying for
Warner Home Video, the UK’s leading home video distributor.
The account was previously held by TMD Carat, which resigned the task
because of a clash with its Disney business.
After a pitch against New PHD, BMP Optimum, Motive, the Media Business
and Total Media, Manning Gottlieb walked away with the rental and retail
releases business, which was worth pounds 3.2 million last year. Five of
Time Warner’s film brands come under the home video umbrella: Cannon,
Pathe, MGM, United Artists and Warner Bros.
Colin Gottlieb, managing partner of Manning Gottlieb, said: ’The spend
is good - but the main thing about this win is the business itself. This
is one area in which we were not represented.
’We’ve set out to get a portfolio of absolute blue-chip brands, and
Warner is a perfect addition.’
The home video market will be hotly contested next year, with the
expansion of pay-per-view schemes on cable and satellite channels
providing another outlet for quick post-cinema releases.
Warner’s budget is expected to increase to nearly pounds 5 million in
the next year as the market hots up.
’Warner will be at the centre of what’s happening in the industry, which
is a great opportunity for us,’ Gottlieb added.
This is the second win in three weeks for Manning Gottlieb - the first
being the pounds 2 million Sacla pasta sauces business taken from BBJ
Media Services.
Earlier this year, Manning Gottlieb secured a deal with Omnicom whereby
the European media giant bought the agency for a figure believed to be
around pounds 15 million.
’Our new business had a slight interruption in the summer due to the
merger, but we’re having a flying autumn,’ Gottlieb said.
