INTERNATIONAL: Unilever taps MindShare for US media job

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.

Sign In

Trouble signing in?

Reset Password: Click here

Contact Customer Support at

Customerservice@campaignasia.com