COI to evolve to fit changing landscape

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Media Week

29/04/2008

Media Week

by Isabella Piasecka

LONDON- The Central Office of Information has said it needs to better integrate its roster of communications agencies following an independent review of its media buying systems by RAB (Radio Advertising Bureau) founder and media industry expert Douglas McArthur.

Summarising his findings, McArthur said the COI was securing good value media buying prices, but it needed to evolve in anticipation of a more complex communications landscape.

"COI's media buying prices are seen as excellent. However, communications integration will become key in meeting the challenges presented by a rapidly changing media landscape, including the integration of buying between media channels," he added.

Mark Cross, the COI's communications planning director, said the COI would now refine its planning and buying process to ensure "greater dialogue and collaboration" between agencies.

The COI's Channel Integration Management team (formerly Media and Advertising Services) will imple­ment a new, phased strategy that will focus on integrating digital ­display and mainstream media, developing approaches to encourage multichannel opportunities and challenging the COI's agencies and partners to develop cross-channel metrics.


The COI currently has six media buying contracts from sole suppliers: Carat for cinema and TV, i-level for interactive/online media, Posterscope for outdoor, MediaCom for press and Starcom for radio.