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CIA Medianetwork and MBS Media, the incumbents on the Norwich Union

and CGU media accounts, have been given notice that the client is to

centralise the account.

The CGU account is held by CIA Medianetwork and is worth around pounds 9

million, while MBS Media is responsible for Norwich Union’s media, which

is worth just under pounds 11 million.

Universal McCann and Optimedia also work on some of the CGU brands but

it is likely that CIA Medianetwork and MBS Media will pitch for the

centralised account head to head.

An auditor will be appointed shortly and it is believed that the

financial services client is keen to make its decision by the end of

next month.

The move by the new company to centralise its media follows the news

last month that it had invited three agencies to pitch for its merged

creative account. CGU’s incumbent agency, McCann-Erickson, is pitching

against Norwich Union’s agency, Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy, and BMP

DDB.

CGU began to review its media arrangements earlier this year but put the

pitch on hold when it merged with Norwich Union.

CGU and Norwich Union announced in February that the companies would

merge, creating a company worth around pounds 20 billion. The CGU brand

will be dropped and Norwich Union branding will be used across all

products.