Bayer Poised To Consolidate Media Assignment With MediaCom

by Steve McClellan, Dec 8, 2011, 12:45 PM

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Bayer is poised to award its estimated $400 million U.S. media assignment to WPP’s MediaCom after a review, according to sources. Interpublic’s Initiative was the incumbent.

Sources stressed that MediaCom and Bayer have not signed a deal but sources indicated that Initiative has been informed that the client is making a switch. The two agencies were the finalists in the reveiw.

Initiative couldn't be reached for comment. MediaCom referred calls to the client.

Bayer kicked off the review in September, just two years after consolidating the account with Interpublic's Initiative, sources confirmed. MediaCom also handles the account outside the U.S.

In 2009, Bayer placed its U.S. HealthCare media duties with Initiative after a review. At the time the media shop was already handling the client's Consumer Care division.

The HealthCare account had been split between Initiative, which handled national broadcast duties, and WPP's MEC, which handled the remaining portion of the account.

It's been a bumpy ride for Initiative this year. Early in the year Home Depot, with estimated spending of $420 million, defected to Aegis Group's Carat. This summer, S.C. Johnson parted ways with Initiative and sibling agency DraftFCB after a global consolidation review with nearly $1 billion in annual spending. Initiative handled the buying portion of the account.

On the plus side, Initiative won media assignments from toymaker Hasbro and children's TV network The Hub, with estimated combined spending of $175 million. It also won financial services company USAA, an estimated $100 million assignment.

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