Four Media Incumbents Square-Up for Glaxo’s $600m

At stake is enough prize money to inflame the hormones of any red-blooded media agency – the consolidated $600 million media buying account of global pharmaceuticals and toiletries titan Glaxo SmithKline.

Forming battle lines are Glaxo’s four roster media shops: Havas-owned Media Planning, The Media Edge (WPP), MediaCom (Grey Global) and Media Direct Partners (Initiative Media) – each competing on a winner-take-all basis. The pitch process will start later this month with the result announced in March.

The review, which was widely expected, focuses solely on media buying. Planning is not up for grabs and continues to be handled by the agencies respectively employed by SmithKline and Glaxo before their merger last year.

News Source: CampaignLive (UK)