Huntsworth to merge Trimedia into Grayling

Huntsworth is reorganising its 26 brands into just four - Grayling, Citigate, Red and Huntsworth Health. The move will see a number of redundancies, but Lord Chadlington, chief executive of Huntsworth, said these would be limited to 15 or 20 positions worldwide, mostly at senior levels.

The most significant move sees Grayling become a global full-service agency incorporating Trimedia, Mmd and a number of smaller Huntsworth brands. Lord Chadlington said the new Grayling would be a 'worldwide top three independent brand'.

Chadlington said the reorganisation was in response to client demand for seamless global service and to enable Huntsworth to win high-value global mandates. This is something that, with the exception of Huntsworth Health, it has yet to achieve. It is thought the move was in part triggered by its failure to win the BA global PR account, with BA understood to have raised concerns about the disparate nature of Huntsworth's global network.

It is not yet clear how certain brands - financial comms agency Hudson Sandler, corporate advisory shop Quiller and Middle East specialist Momentum - fit into the structure.

Chadlington said he would be discussing how to position the agencies with the respective brands' managements.