Omnicom wins Coca-Cola’s North American media. WPP keeps the rest of the world
Omnicom will buy Coca-Cola's media in the US and Canada from December 1. WPP keeps the brand's media in almost every other market.
Photo: alleksana / Pexels
Omnicom has won the Coca-Cola media account for the US and Canada, Digiday and Adweek reported on October 22. Digiday puts the business at $700m to $800m a year and says the work starts on December 1.
WPP keeps Coca-Cola’s media in every other market except Japan and South Korea, where Dentsu stays on. Adweek adds that WPP also keeps creative, production and creator marketing for the brand. Neither report names the Omnicom agency that will run the account.
Publicis gave up Coca-Cola after winning PepsiCo
The review began when Publicis took PepsiCo’s global media and stepped away from Coca-Cola in North America. Coca-Cola then put its North American media into review, while WPP held on to the international account.
According to Digiday, Dentsu was Omnicom’s only serious rival in North America. WPP chose not to pitch for that region and focused on its global business. Publicis also pulled out of the global pitch.
Omnicom wins back most of its PepsiCo money in North America
Omnicom had worked for PepsiCo for almost 30 years before PepsiCo moved its global media to Publicis. Citing COMvergence data, Digiday says Omnicom handled about $1.1bn of PepsiCo media billings worldwide, with about $780m of that in North America. The Coca-Cola account roughly matches the North American part, not the global loss.
Omnicom CEO John Wren led the pitch himself. Digiday reports that he offered a separate team, with nobody moved over from the PepsiCo business. MediaPost wrote on October 23 that Omnicom shares rose after its third-quarter results and the Coca-Cola news.
Coca-Cola now puts 70% of media spend into social and creators
Coca-Cola CMO Manolo Arroyo has said the company spends 70% of its media budget on social and creator content, Digiday notes. Six years ago, 75% went to TV.
Omnicom gains a large new client months after losing PepsiCo. Publicis now works for PepsiCo but has no Coca-Cola media anywhere. Dentsu keeps only Japan and South Korea, and WPP stays the brand’s main media agency in all other markets.