Frost, who co-founded Publicis Blueprint in 1999 and has been chief executive since May 2006, is currently negotiating his terms of departure from the company following a period of leave.
The redundancies, estimated to number up to 35, are understood to run across Publicis Blueprint's entire UK operation and include more than one board level position and a number of publishers of the company's titles.
It is believed that parent Publicis Groupe is looking to employ some of the staff who have been made redundant across the agency group. Financial troubles at Publicis Blueprint, doubts over the future of Frost, the closure of Blockbuster Preview magazine and a change in strategy, imposed by Publicis Groupe management, were first revealed in Media Week (19 February).
Publicis Blueprint has now resigned the accounts to publish ad-funded hotel chain magazines De Vere Deluxe, Mal Life and Du Vin.
The departures come as Publicis Groupe imposes a change in strategy at its customer publisher arm, away from advertising-funded to fee-based, following the discovery that some business was incurring an operating loss, estimated to total £6m.
The financial losses led to the departure of finance director Paul Jeal and the decision by Publicis Groupe to move away from taking on ad-funded magazines as clients.
While the customer publisher has resigned the hotel titles, it is understood that Homebase Ideas and Debenhams Desire, which rely heavily on third-party advertising, are likely to continue to be published by the company.
Joint managing directors Geri Richards and Alastair Young are running the company in the absence of Frost, but it is unclear whether Publicis Blueprint will look to recruit a replacement chief executive.
Publicis Blueprint failed to return Media Week's calls.
The redundancies, estimated to number up to 35, are understood to run across Publicis Blueprint's entire UK operation and include more than one board level position and a number of publishers of the company's titles.
It is believed that parent Publicis Groupe is looking to employ some of the staff who have been made redundant across the agency group. Financial troubles at Publicis Blueprint, doubts over the future of Frost, the closure of Blockbuster Preview magazine and a change in strategy, imposed by Publicis Groupe management, were first revealed in Media Week (19 February).
Publicis Blueprint has now resigned the accounts to publish ad-funded hotel chain magazines De Vere Deluxe, Mal Life and Du Vin.
The departures come as Publicis Groupe imposes a change in strategy at its customer publisher arm, away from advertising-funded to fee-based, following the discovery that some business was incurring an operating loss, estimated to total £6m.
The financial losses led to the departure of finance director Paul Jeal and the decision by Publicis Groupe to move away from taking on ad-funded magazines as clients.
While the customer publisher has resigned the hotel titles, it is understood that Homebase Ideas and Debenhams Desire, which rely heavily on third-party advertising, are likely to continue to be published by the company.
Joint managing directors Geri Richards and Alastair Young are running the company in the absence of Frost, but it is unclear whether Publicis Blueprint will look to recruit a replacement chief executive.
Publicis Blueprint failed to return Media Week's calls.
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