Last week, news dropped (quickly, at a very inopportune moment, also known as well after normal work hours) that WPP had retained global media duties for Walgreens Boots Alliance, following a review that also included finalist Publicis Groupe.
Much like a certain presidential election, the final stages of the review seemed to drag on, with pricing negotiations a major factor, according to sources with knowledge of the process. These sources offered differing views on the degree to which the client’s decision was influenced, or not, by a desire to remain with its current partner during a now-resurgent pandemic.
But that doesn’t seem to be the entirety of the story, as it seems that the consolidation with WPP may not have been all-inclusive. There seems to be a portion of the media account which it did not pick up and actually remains with Publicis Groupe.
Epsilon has retained unspecified responsibilities for Walgreens Boots Alliance, through a relationship predating Publicis Groupe’s acquisition of Epsilon, according to sources with knowledge of the account. According to sources with knowledge of the account, the scope of Epsilon’s work with Walgreens Boots Alliance hasn’t changed. It’s unclear to what degree this portion of the account was or was not in play during the review process or if Epsilon will retain these responsibilities in the longterm.
Walgreens Boots Alliance has yet to respond to a request for comment. Epsilon declined to comment.