- Steve McClellan

NEW YORK Cadbury Adams USA has selected independent Horizon Media to handle U.S. media planning and buying duties, both traditional and digital, after a review, the client has confirmed.

The client has also tapped Cossette Communication Group of Quebec City to handle Canadian media chores on the account. The two agencies are members of a global network of independent media agencies known as Columbus Media International that help each other service accounts in markets where they are located around the world.
 
The gum and candy company spends $150 million annually in North American measured media, with at least 80 percent of that apportioned to the U.S. market, per sources.

Last month the client had narrowed its media review to four finalists. In addition to Horizon (and the Horizon/Cossette alliance in Canada), those shops were said to include Aegis Group's Carat, Interpublic Group's Universal McCann and Omnicom Group's PHD.   

In Canada, UM sibling M2 Universal is the incumbent. WPP Group's Mediaedge:cia, incumbent on the U.S. business, was eliminated in a previous round, along with contender MPG, the Havas-owned media shop.  

"Horizon Media and Cossette Media came out on top thanks to their complementary capabilities that we believe to be critical to win in the United States and Canada," said Lesya Lysyj, evp, marketing, Cadbury. "The agencies bring to our business a creative approach to media and a willingness to push the boundaries of communication that will allow Cadbury to be heard loud and clear in the categories in which we play."
 
Bill Koenigsberg, president and CEO, Horizon Media, said, "We are very encouraged by the opportunity to leverage our proprietary tools to precisely target and engage with the various Cadbury consumer segments. Together with our Canadian partner, Cossette Media, we will hit the ground running to bring our vision for Cadbury to life."
 
Cathy Collier, svp, media director, Cossette, said, "We are extremely excited to apply our creative media strategies to Cadbury's prestigious portfolio of Canadian brands and to work seamlessly with our U.S. partner, Horizon Media."
 
The review was launched in early July. The client said at the time that the brands covered under the review include Trident, Dentyne, Stride, Bubblicious, Sour Patch, Maynards, Caramilk, Green & Black's and Swedish Fish.

Earlier this year, the company was split off from beverage unit Cadbury Schweppes Beverages the Americas, which held a separate media review that began last year where MEC was also the incumbent. Initiative won that $100 million-plus account in January.

Cadbury Adams chose Joanne Davis Consulting in New York to assist it in the review process.