Zenith Optimedia and Initiative Media are set to go head to head to pitch for the Hewlett-Packard media account in the UK, with the company poised to consolidate its $275m (£187m) global business into a single agency network.
The move, to be announced imminently, follows the merger last year of computer giants Hewlett Packard and Compaq and will see the companies' global networks Zenith Optimedia and Interpublic do battle.
In the UK, Optimedia handles the £14m media brief for Hewlett-Packard and Initiative Media has the £8m brief for Compaq.
Although the total global spend is unknown, the combined US media account of the two businesses was $275m last year.
The move is thought to be part of an attempt by chief executive Carly Fiorina to create $2bn (£1.4bn) in post-merger savings.
Last week, the company projected flat sales for the first half of 2002 with little sign of recovery for the second half.
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
