Unilever has announced that it will consolidate responsibility for
all US media planning and broadcast buying with MindShare.
The decision follows a comprehensive review by Unilever of its US media
spend, which totalled some USdollars 700 million in 1999, according to
CMR.
Under the new agreement, MindShare will also play a key facilitating
role alongside the company's brand teams and creative advertising
agencies for Unilever's new Communication Channel Planning process,
which aims to establish the most effective combination of marketing
vehicles for its leading brands.
According to Mr Brad Simmons, vice-president of Unilever US Media, "Our
goal was to make our significant investment in brand communications work
harder. Consolidation will provide a seamless linkage as we move from
broad marketing communications mix planning, through strategic media
planning to tactical implementation."
He added: "MindShare was selected for this assignment because they
offered the best combination of strategic resources and buying
capabilities."
Prior to consolidation, Unilever's US media planning assignment was
split between nine agencies. MindShare currently handles the majority of
Unilever's brand planning assignments. Agency of record responsibility
for national and local television buying was handled by Initiative
Media.
Unilever initially began a media review in November 1999, but elected to
postpone the consolidation of media resource phase until this year in
order to give the media agencies a chance to establish their new
organisations in line with the pitch.
- The stories in this section were sourced from MEDIA's sister
publication in the UK, Campaign magazine.
