P&G, U.S.’s Largest Advertiser, Is Putting Its North American Media Business in Review

Just five months after Procter & Gamble named Kristine Decker as its new U.S. media chief, the consumer products giant is reviewing the regional account, which is currently split between Starcom MediaVest Group and Dentsu Aegis's Carat, sources told Adweek.

In January, Decker rose to brand director, North America brand operations, with oversight of about $2.6 billion in U.S. media spending, according to Kantar Media. She previously was brand director on P&G's North American pet care business, which was sold to Mars last year.

The review comes as P&G looks to jettison non-core brands and cut costs. In April, the company said it aimed to save $500 million annually by slashing fees, production costs and the number of agencies it works with.

SMG handles P&G's media buying and communications planning in U.S. and creates branded entertainment for the lion's share of the company's brands. As part of Carat's global P&G media responsibilities, the agency buys media in Canada and does communications planning for some brands in North America.

Representatives at P&G, SMG and Carat either declined to comment or did not return calls.