• by April 14, 2011

Mediabrands -- which includes UM and Initiative, and was named Media's "agency holding company of the year" for both 2009 and 2010 -- is realigning to fit parent IPG's new "client-centric" strategy.

The changes include the absorption of Mediabrands Ventures, consisting of 15 stand-alone units focused on new media areas, into Mediabrands itself, and Ventures CEO Matt Freeman moving to IPG's McCann Erickson Worldwide as vice chairman, global chief innovation officer -- a new post.

A key player in the realigned Mediabrands will be the group's IPG Media Lab, the force behind innovations such as the retail-focused Shopper Sciences, hyper-local specialist Geomentum, and IPG's work in API-based ads. IPG also promised increased investment in the development of TAP (The Audience Platform), which supports the Cadreon advertising exchange. Sources said TAP is now likely to work more closely with sister unit Reprise, Mediabrands' search and social media shop.

IPG said the Mediabrands units will now be organized into three "bundles," based on the "service commonalities" they offer clients. The three bundles are "one-to-one" for units directly impacting individuals, "one-to-some" for units doing hyper-local, local or regional communications and "one-to-most" for those reaching national and international audiences.

Freeman's "redeployment" to McCann Erickson, now that his job building Mediabrands Ventures is done, will help the creative agency "shape an offering that is fully responsive to the range of opportunities available to marketers in this digital age," according to McCann Worldgroup Chairman and CEO Nick Brien, who called Freeman a "marketing visionary."

Freeman will bring a realm of digital agency expertise to McCann. A pioneer in the field, he was founder and CEO of Omnicom's Tribal DDB, starting in 1998. He then became CEO of digital media startup Betawave before joining Mediabrands in January 2010.

IPG said his new responsibilities will include "harnessing the network's digital offering, building new digital capabilities to meet the evolving needs of clients and forging partnerships that will enable new revenue streams and exclusive opportunities for McCann Worldgroup clients."