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In a shock move, the Carat Group has parted company with its pounds

185 million Peugeot Citroen business in the UK, Germany and Belgium.

The decision leaves PSA stranded after a tumultuous few years of moving

its massive pounds 80 million UK media account around.

The car giant is now hurriedly preparing a review of its UK business and

has invited OMD, Initiative Media, Media Planning Group and

Zenith/Optimedia to pitch for the account. Pitches will be held over the

summer and a decision is expected in September.

No-one at Carat was available to comment on the decision, but the

company is understood to be keen to find a global client in the motoring

sector and its current relationship with PSA's rival, Renault, offers

the best possibility for this.

The Carat Group won PSA's UK business in July last year, when the

account was split in two with BBJ handling Peugeot and sister agency

Carat taking on the Citroen account.

In September the Carat Group scooped the pounds 360 pan-European Renault

media account and successfully managed to house the two rival accounts

by centralising PSA into BBJ with Carat handling Renault's pounds 75

million UK business.

Carat now handles media for the Renault brand in 16 markets across

Europe and developing the relationship into new territories and other

Renault marques would give the media giant the sort of long-term

strategic relationship it is looking for.

Renault's Nissan global media business is currently handled by the OMD

network, though the account has been rumoured to be shakey for some time

now.