Starcom raids Maxus for €600m Fiat media
Publicis Media’s Starcom has won Fiat’s estimated €600m European and Asian Pacific media business from WPP’s Maxus. Maxus has handled Fiat since 2009, taking over from Starcom.
The win – which also includes Alfa Romeo, Chrysler and Jeep – brings 2016 to a triumphant close for Publicis Media which was also the big winner in the £400m Mars media review which closed this week.
WPP, by contrast, will be licking its wounds as it lost business in the Mars review to add to big losses AT&T in the US and VW globally.
Fiat hasn’t said anything officially so far therefore its reasons for the switch – after a long-running competitive pitch – are unclear. Price always plays a factor in these things, some clients place more importance on so-called media “creativity” than others.
Not the happiest of Christmases for WPP/GroupM media types who must be wondering what their immediate future holds.
We wish them (and you) well of course.