WPP looks likely to bag another big media account, the UK government’s £1.5bn strategy, planning and buying business after a shoot-out with incumbent Omnicom. The account runs over four years.
All such Cabinet Office decisions are subject to a standstill period during which bidders are notified and are able to challenge the decision.
The UK government is also expected to announce that M&C Saatchi, Havas and Unlimited (which works with Pablo) have landed the bulk of its creative business.
The media move, if ratified, is a big boost for new WPP CEO Cindy Rose and WPP Media. WPP, although seemingly under fire from all sides including some rather mystifying recent UK national press reports warming over old news, seems to have rediscovered some, at least, of its media mojo with recent wins of Reckitt and Henkel too. Omnicom also handled Henkel alongside WPP.
