Grey rethink creates four separate shops

Grey is reorganising into four ’agencies within agencies’ in a move

that will allow the soon-to-be-merged Mellors Reay & Partners virtual

autonomy.

Each ’agency’ will have its own dedicated creative, planning and account

teams as well as profit and loss responsibilities. They will be backed

by a fifth group which will work with the others as necessary and focus

on new business.

The shake-up is aimed at combining the ’hands-on’ approach of smaller

agencies with big agency expertise without diluting the agency

culture.

The move - described by Grey as ’very unusual and maybe unique’ - runs

counter to the usual large agency practice of trying to assimilate and

absorb the staff of a smaller merger partner as quickly as possible.

But Steve Blamer, Grey’s chief executive, said: ’Mellors Reay has been a

pretty good agency, so why break it up? It will become a shot of

adrenalin in our body.’

Blamer said the restructure had been mooted before the merger was agreed

but quickly won the approval of Tim Mellors, who becomes Grey’s

executive creative director, and Carol Reay, who takes over as

vice-chairman.

Chris King, currently the Mellors Reay managing director, will lead his

agency group. Others will be headed by Jayne Barr, Barry Cox and Steve

Richards.

This article was first published on Campaign