Coca-Cola named IPG Mediabrands’ UM as its lead media agency in North America Friday, following a review. According to Kantar Media, Coca-Cola spent $400 million on Measured Media in the U.S. last year.
“At the end of a rigorous ten-week process, Coca-Cola North America has decided to invite UM to be our lead agency for all of our media planning, buying and media analytics,” a Coca-Cola spokeswoman told MediaPost. “They will also be the primary partner for devising the most innovative and business driving connections strategies.” She added that, despite UM’s role as lead media agency, “Under certain conditions, we will be considering a roster of agencies to lead connections strategies on a project-by-project basis, supported by UM.”
Incumbent MediaVest, which won the account following a consolidating review in 2003, was among the agencies involved in the review, along with MediaCom and Carat. All three agencies remain on Coca-Cola’s global media roster, while MediaVest will “continue to work on a few of Coca-Cola North America’s emerging brands on a project-by-project basis.”
Coca-Cola’s review, of course, is just one of a slew of high profile media reviews this year from companies including Mondelez, General Mils, Sony, Volkswagen Group, BASF and P&G.