Roche Macaulay & Partners has shifted its media buying division to David Cairns and Company Media Management.

Media buying for five former Lowe SMS clients – Ralston Purina, Mercedes-Benz Canada, Ferrero Rocher, Braun and Western Union Financial Services – will now be handled by the Toronto media buying shop, says Andy Macaulay, Roche senior vice-president and director of strategic planning. However, he is quick to point out that the agency will still control media planning for each account, under its vice-president, media director Elaine Lindsay.

Meanwhile, five former Lowe SMS media employees, including former vice-president, media buying Maria Favot, are now working for David Cairns, says Macaulay.

Before its merger with Lowe SMS last summer, Roche had no media department, leading to speculation that the media department it inherited through Lowe would be nixed.

Instead, Macaulay says that the agency is holding on to the four media planners (including Lindsay). He says this is in part to accommodate former Lowe SMS clients who ‘had to endure many changes in 1996,’ and who have already built relationships with the planners.

Macaulay says Roche clients Ikea and the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency will continue to use Media Buying Services and Harrison Young Pesonen & Newell, respectively.