While China's media agency market grew in pitches, its total value shrank in 2025. The total number of pitches rose 10% year on year to 141, while total pitch budgets fell 29% to RMB 22.14 billion (US$3.10 billion), down from RMB 31.06 billion (US$4.35 billion) in 2024, according to Ebiquity's analysis of COMvergence's 2025 New Business Barometer data.
As China's economic growth slows, advertisers have prioritised media efficiency, and a surge of small and mid-sized players (Bosch, 3M, Goodyear, and Tim Hortons) entered the pitch market in search of cost-effective agency partners.
China-specific pitches (as opposed to globally-led ones) continued to dominate, accounting for 74% of all activity (104 of 141 pitches) with combined budgets of RMB 16.4 billion (US$2.30 billion). Major international advertisers including Volkswagen Group, PepsiCo, SAIC-GM, Uniqlo, and Walmart all prioritised local capability in their agency evaluations during the year. The top 10 account moves collectively totalled RMB 9.55 billion (US$1.34 billion), making up 43% of total pitch value, up from 38% in 2024.
Leading these moves were Mars, Volkswagen Anhui and Audi, and SAIC-GM. Mars, the single largest pitch client of the year, announced a move from WPP Media to Publicis, with a budget of RMB 2.73 billion (US$382 million). Of the top 10 pitches, only Mars and Jaguar Land Rover were global in scope, with the remaining eight focused on China. Multi-agency strategies also gained traction, with Uniqlo splitting its account between WPP Media for brand media and Dentsu for performance.
Publicis consolidates the top, followed by Omnicom
Publicis Media retained its position as China's top-performing agency group, recording RMB 4.17 billion (US$584 million) in net new business and a 78% client retention rate in 2025. While this trails its record RMB 7.16 billion (US$1 billion) in 2024, Ebiquity attributes the decline to overall market contraction.
Publicis Media added 29 new clients over the year. Mars alone accounted for RMB 2.73 billion (US$382 million), representing 12.3% of the year's entire pitch budget, while SAIC-GM contributed a further RMB 1.05 billion (US$146 million). On retention, Publicis held PepsiCo for RMB 1.61 billion (US$225 million), FrieslandCampina for RMB 813 million (US$114 million), and Shanghai Disney Resort for RMB 440 million (US$62 million). However, the agency suffered losses from Uniqlo, Nanfu, and Bose.
Meanwhile, Omnicom Media Group ranked second in net new business with RMB 2.01 billion (US$281 million), anchored by the return of the Volkswagen Anhui and Audi media mandate, worth RMB 2.36 billion (US$330 million). Volkswagen returned to Omnicom following an internal client evaluation that reaffirmed the group as the automaker's globally unified agency partner.
Beijing Automotive at RMB 414 million (US$58 million), Skechers at RMB 322 million (US$45 million), Kimberly-Clark at RMB 200 million (US$28 million), and Nanfu Battery at RMB 175 million (US$25 million) also joined the portfolio. Under Armour was also a signficant win, worth RMB 143 million (US$20 million).
OMG faced retention headwinds, however, losing Universal Beijing Resort, Vitasoy, and Jaguar Land Rover during the year.
Mediabrands posted net new gains of RMB 464 million (US$65 million), securing Uni-President Enterprises for RMB 357 million (US$50 million), Bank of China for RMB 357 million (US$50 million), and Shanghai Disney Resort's performance media remit for RMB 131 million (US$18 million). In addition, the agency retained Walmart for RMB 229 million (US$32 million) despite losing Burger King, Emirates, and Shangri-La Hotels.
Dentsu posts steady gains as WPP Media suffers losses
Dentsu ranked third in net new business with RMB 857 million (US$120 million), winning 21 new clients including Universal Beijing Resort at RMB 443 million (US$62 million) and Vitasoy at RMB 379 million (US$53 million). The agency also won Uniqlo's performance media mandate worth RMB 157 million (US$22 million).
The agency also retained IKEA at RMB 364 million (US$51 million) and Master Kong Instant Noodles at RMB 286 million (US$40 million), though losses of ByteDance, Mastercard, and Clorox tempered the gains.
Meanwhile, WPP Media recorded net new business of -RMB 1.77 billion (-US$248 million), driven by the loss of Mars. However, WPP Media won 22 new clients, including Jaguar Land Rover at RMB 751 million (US$105 million), ByteDance at RMB 614 million (US$86 million), and Uniqlo's brand media account at RMB 306 million (US$43 million), with total gross new business wins of RMB 2.7 billion (US$378 million). Core account renewals, including Master Kong Beverages at RMB 607 million (US$85 million) and LiXiang Auto at RMB 214 million (US$30 million), provided additional ballast.
Havas Media, leaning on its global network, recorded modest net new gains of RMB 93 million (US$13 million), picking up Emirates at RMB 80 million (US$11 million) and Decathlon at RMB 32 million (US$4.5 million) through international pitches while retaining the Shanghai Diamond Exchange at RMB 179 million (US$25 million).
Key trends
Ebiquity identified five key shifts defining China's media agency landscape in 2025:
- Pitch volume up, budgets down: More pitches but smaller average budgets signal a market entering a phase of rational optimisation, with cost efficiency now a primary driver of agency selection.
- Local decision-making dominates: At 74% of all pitches, China-led mandates continue to far outpace other markets, reflecting the country's distinct platform ecosystem and the growing preference of international brands for a standalone China strategy.
- Local brand turnover surges: Only 20% of the top 10 local brand advertisers retained their incumbent agency, with ByteDance, Beijing Automotive, Huawei Auto, Midea, and others all switching.
- Multi-agency models emerge: Advertisers are increasingly dividing mandates by service category, separating brand media from performance, or OOH from biddable.
- International groups regain domestic brand trust: Beijing Automotive, Uni-President Enterprises, and Midea all switched from local to international agencies in 2025, signalling renewed confidence in global networks' ability to serve local brand needs.
Source: Campaign Asia-Pacific
