Mediaedge:cia (MEC), the global media communications specialist and part of WPP, has reinforced its commitment to providing clients with a holistic communications service by creating MEC:Sponsorship as the specialist sponsorship consulting division of MEC. Building on the success of the UK operation, MEC has accelerated the growth of the sponsorship business with the aim of establishing the world’s leading sponsorship consulting brand.

Specialising in strategy, negotiation, management and activation across all forms of sponsorship, MEC:Sponsorship (formerly Total Sponsorship) will work in partnership with MEC to deliver insightful and innovative solutions for new and existing clients worldwide.

The company, established in 1998, has developed on-going relationships with a number of MEC clients including Schwarzkopf, SeaFrance, Sony Ericsson, Specsavers and Visa, and also works with clients outside MEC including Norwich Union and Tilney Investment Management.

Rob Norman, Chairman of MEC UK, comments: ‘Our sponsorship division has clearly demonstrated its ability to add value to our clients. It is a live symbol of our group’s commitment to communications planning and implementation. The brand change from Total Sponsorship to MEC:Sponsorship will enable more MEC clients to take advantage of the services that are on offer.’

Jeremy Clark, Managing Director of MEC:Sponsorship, adds: ‘In the past two years we have doubled the size of the team in the UK as a result of the changing media environment and increasing demands from clients for sponsorship expertise. We hope that this re-branding will help to stimulate additional interest among clients for an independent sponsorship consultancy service that is wholly focused on maximising the return on their sponsorship investment.’

MEC:Sponsorship has recently created Norwich Union’s ‘Do the right thing’ campaign, using its sponsorship of UK Athletics as a platform to assess and address the decline in physical activity among children across the UK. The company also runs Visa’s Olympic leverage programme across Europe, has managed broadcast sponsorships for Sony Ericsson and Schwarzkopf, and has negotiated high profile associations in sport for Specsavers.

For more details contact:

Stuart Wareman – MEC:Sponsorship – 020 7803 2306 (07733 010 799)