The future direction of Western International Media was hanging in
the balance this week as its biggest UK client, Vauxhall Motors,
confirmed it had put its media buying account under statutory internal
review.
Western handles the media planning and buying account in the UK, worth
pounds 86 million, but the Continental media business is centralised
through the Universal McCann network. A pan-European centralisation has
not been ruled out.
Vauxhall has made it clear that no decisions have been taken on whether
to hold a formal media review. Andrew Jones, Vauxhall’s marketing
operations director, said: ’We regularly review our media buying but we
have a long and successful relationship with Western and are very happy
with its buying performance.’
However, Western’s parent, Interpublic Group, and auxhall’s parent, GM,
are understood to favour a streamlining of media arrangements across
Europe, possibly through Universal.
