10th January 2007
| Brand Republic
By Daniel Farey-Jones
Agency search consultants the Haystack Group and Agency Assessments International have formed a partnership to handle UK and international assignments, and are working together on the international Volvo creative review.
The alliance brings together Haystack, founded in 2001 by Suki and Alan Thompson, with the longer established AAI, which was formed in 1988 by current chairman David Wethey.
The move follows the departure of Stuart Pocock from AAI to set up his own consultancy, The Observatory, last November. Lucinda Peniston-Baines, AAI senior consultant, joined him soon after.
According to Suki Thompson, talks concerning a partnership between Haystack and AAI began around a year ago, but Pocock's departure simplified some issues.
Haystack, which has in the last couple of years reached beyond its UK base with work on pan-European pitches including Unilever and Xerox, was keen to take advantage of AAI's international reach while Wethey was looking to bolster AAI's UK offering.
The partnership's work on the Volvo review will involve Wethey covering Europe out of Amsterdam and Haystack covering the UK.
It is believed that the agencies involved in the early stages of the review include Ogilvy & Mather, Fallon, JWT, M&C Saatchi, 180 Amsterdam and Strawberry Frog.
The US agency review is being handled separately by Roth Associates in New York. US reports claim that seven agencies have been shortlisted, which are Euro RSCG Worldwide and its fellow Havas shop Arnold, Fallon, WPP's JWT and Ogilvy & Mather, Strawberry Frog and Omnicom's 180.
AAI and The Haystack Group said they have no immediate intention of integrating their relationship management, evaluation or training businesses.
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