• by Amy Corr  @MediaPostOTL, September 13, 2005

One day after rebranding itself, Carat Fusion has picked up a major digital media brand as a new client. Carat Fusion, formerly Carat Interactive, Monday was named agency of record for Napster, the digital music company. Carat will handle all media planning and buying, including broadcast, cable, print, outdoor, interactive, search engine marketing and affiliate marketing.

Carat Fusion's first work will center on planning and buying media for the 2005 holiday season.

"Our work will focus on maximizing the strength of the brand while never losing sight of measurement and accountability," Toby Gabriner, president of Carat Fusion, said in a statement.

Mediasmith, which was awarded the $25 million Napster account in June of 2003 and won MEDIA magazine's 2004 Creative Media Award for the online media category for work for that brand, will work on Napster's business through the end of the year. Mediasmith handled the relaunch of the Napster brand (including last year's Super Bowl ad launching Napster To Go) after Roxio purchased the company. At that time, Mediasmith was already handling online media planning and buying for Roxio, Napster's parent company.

David Smith, CEO of Mediasmith, is "sorry to see the client go, but is proud of the award-winning work the agency delivered."

Smith said "a couple of people" would be let go as a result of the account loss, but that Mediasmith still expects to double its 2005 revenues compared with last year. Mediasmith recently picked up two new clients--National Geographic Channel and K&N Engineering--worth $5 million in billings.

Modernista! continues to handle creative duties on the Napster account. The agency was awarded the work in June; Venables, Bell & Partners previously handled creative chores.