This Media Agency Gets a Windfall Out of Bayer's Merck Deal

Bayer shop MediaCom adds Merck brands spending $150 million annually

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Bayer HealthCare has shifted U.S. media planning and buying for its newly-acquired Merck consumer product line to MediaCom from Initiative, a Bayer executive confirmed.

Annual media spending is estimated at $150 million. The shift came without a pitch.

In May, Bayer agreed to acquire Merck’s  consumer business for $14.2 billion, which made the German pharmaceutical giant one of the largest manufacturers of over-the-counter products. Among the brands that Bayer added in the deal were Claritin, Coppertone, Bain de Soleil and Dr.

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