Core Media Group, the largest media-buying agency in the Irish advertising market, has been appointed to run the ZenithOptimedia franchise in Ireland, taking the group's annual billings above €170 million.

ZenithOptimedia is 100 per cent owned by global advertising giant Publicis Groupe, which holds 16 per cent of Core Media, with the rest of the company Irish-owned.

Core previously shared services with ZenithOptimedia, but it was managed as a subsidiary of ZenithOptimedia UK.

From March 1st, it will be absorbed into Core Media, which employs about 180 people. "We have exciting plans for the future of ZenithOptimedia and we look forward to announcing these in the coming months," Core chief executive Alan Cox said.

The group is also at an advanced stage in the development of a sponsorship division called LiveWire, he said.

“We feel there’s an opportunity to apply the rigour we have in planning and media-buying services to sponsorship.”