The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

DF Concerts MediaCom Brilliant Media

Speculation spreads that £91m dfs media account will go to London

Author

By The Drum Team, Editorial

January 19, 2011 | 3 min read

Sources in Northern England are increasingly despondent about the chances of the £91m DFS account remaining in the regions.

One source told The Drum: "Under any circumstances the incumbent always starts as the outsider in this sort of situation but this time round there is a strong sense that they lack the critical mass to compete with the major buying shops in London.

"If this business does go it will be a major setback and a great shame. It is very much part of a cycle that sees regional agencies build business up - in DFS's case almost from scratch - only to see them leave the area when they reach a certain critical mass."

One agency that is likely to be in the frame is Mediacom London, which handles the brands press buying activity.

The Brilliant team is credited with taking DFS from an almost unknown brand and building it into ITV's largest advertiser - and many reflected how at certain periods the agency was effectively a one-trick pony as far as its client list was concerned.

More recently, however, they have managed to spread the risk winning accounts such as Deichmann Shoes and lingerie firm Eveden.

The furniture brand was acquired last year by private equity firm Advent International, the owner of Poundland and HMV Group, which is understood to have little dealings with regional media agencies, with Richard Baker, chairman of DFS expected to oversee the process personally, having previously served as retail brand development director for Alliance Boots.

Baker joined following the £500 million acquisition of the company in April last year.

In servicing the account Brilliant was involved in the brand’s sponsorship of ITV programme Dancing on Ice for two seasons, and has worked alongside creative agency Uber on the continued roll out of new adverts, spending nearly £50 million on press and over £30 million on television advertising alone in 2009, according to The Neilson Company.

DF Concerts MediaCom Brilliant Media

More from DF Concerts

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +