SONY CONSOLIDATES NORTH AMERICAN MEDIA PLANNING AND BUYING
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based Sony of Canada has consolidated its media planning and buying with M2 Universal, the Canadian media arm of McCann-Erickson WorldGroup. The move is part of a larger North American consolidation of media planning and buying by New York-based Sony Corporation of America with Universal McCann, McCann-Erickson's media arm in the U.S. The assignment includes the North American media planning and buying accounts for Sony Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment (network television) in the U.S. and Sony of Canada, Columbia Tri Star Films of Canada and Sony Music in Canada. Universal McCann became the company's media agency of record following a review. The McCann-Erickson Group has handled the media account for Sony Pictures Entertainment for the past 14 years. The consolidation will end Sony of Canada's relationship with Toronto's Due North Communications, which previously handled media planning and buying for Sony of Canada and Columbia Tri Star Films of Canada. Media for Sony Music in Canada had previously been handled in-house. M2 Universal's Toronto and Montreal offices will work on the account in this country, while Universal McCann's offices in New York and Los Angeles will handle the assignment in the U.S.