Publicis wins $1.7bn Mars media from WPP – adds commerce and influencers

At least WPP CEO Mark Read got his timing right: earlier this week he announced he was to step down, days before one of his biggest clients Mars announced it’s moving its media account worth $1.7bn out of WPP’s Essence MediaCom. It’s only polite to let the loser know in advance.

In a wide-ranging review including everything but creative, which stays with Omnicom, Publicis has also won Mars’ influencer and commerce business, vindicating Publicis’ strategy of buying leading independents in those markets. That its recently-acquired commerce business is also called Mars possibly helped.

Mars says it wants to put fans and communities “in the driving seat” and believes it’s found a “new industry-leading agency ecosystem to create brand experiences and personalization at scale.” One reason for the review is that Mars has had a $36bn bid for consumer good rival Kellanova accepted, making it a bigger company with many more brands including Kelllogg’s.

Mars has retained IPG’s Weber Shandwick for its global PR business, leaving the WPP as the odd one out in the three holding company review.

For all the current talk of AI and adland revolution, advertising remains a simple business in so far as it depends primarily on giving clients what they want – or can persuaded it’s what they want. Publicis has been brilliant at that, expanding heavily in data, tech, commerce (with Mars United ) and, earlier this year, influencer agency Captiv8.

As for WPP it’s another headache. Succession may be in the wings but staff, already wondering about their futures, will be dismayed at this latest setback.