Samsung has added Deutsch to its agency roster, tasking the agency with handling business-to-business advertising in the U.S., Ed Abrams, vice president of marketing for Samsung’s enterprise business unit, confirmed to Adweek. Deutsch will run the business out of its New York offices.
Samsung’s business-to-business advertising was previously handled by consumer marketing shops, so the move to having an agency focus directly on business-to-business marks a change in strategy for the company. As Adweek points out, while many brands are consolidating advertising with fewer agencies, Samsung seems to be doing the complete opposite. Last fall, Samsung added four agencies to its global roster, so the latest expansion seems indicative of a pattern from Samsung.
“The company is investing heavily in building out its b-to-b capabilities, and that buildout now expands to a dedicated marketing initiative,” a source told Adweek. Sources also estimated the media spending for the assignment at between $25 and $30 million, and told the publication that Deutsch beat out FCB, Leo Burnett and Publicis for the account.