MPG Retains Danone in Portugal

NEW YORK Havas’ MPG has retained Groupe Danone’s estimated $15 million Portugese media business following a review, according to sources.

The client’s U.S. media contest is ongoing, with the four shops competing for the $75 million account set to make final presentations this week. WPP Group’s MediaCom, Omnicom Group’s PHD, Aegis Group’s Carat and MPG are all pitching. MediaCom is the incumbent. A decision is expected in July.

The other contenders in Portugal were Carat, Omnicom’s OMD and WPP’s GroupM, per sources.

The award is the latest in a country-by-country media appraisal that the Paris-based yogurt company started last year.

So far, MPG has fared well in the process.

The agency in April successfully defended its Danone media assignment in Spain, where the client spends an estimated $95 million annually on ads. MPG also added Danone’s $280 million French account last December. (The incumbents in France were Carat and OMD.)

The agencies declined comment or couldn’t be reached.

A representative for the client’s U.S. operations referred calls for comment to officials in Paris who could not be immediately reached for comment.