• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, August 27, 2012

UK retailer Mulberry has awarded WPP’s MEC global media duties, including both planning and buying.

The award comes after a formal review that sources said included MPG Media Contacts, a unit of Havas; Publicis Groupe’s ZenithOptimedia; and Aegis Group’s Carat.

Global ad spending on the account was not revealed. In the U.S., the client spent about $2 million on ads in 2011, according to Kantar Media. But overall spending by the client is expected to rise as it continues to expand operations.

The award was confirmed by Georgia Fendley, brand director at Mulberry. Previously, Mulberry handled media chores in-house.

Clare Rush, head of investment at MEC UK, indicated that the assignment takes effect next month when the shop will begin planning ads for Mulberry’s 2013 spring and summer collections.

Currently, most of the client’s marketing effort has been deployed across Europe and the U.S., with plans to step up activity in Asia over the next few years. The company is in the midst of an international expansion. It opened more than a dozen new stores in fiscal 2012, including operations in Singapore, Korea, and the Netherlands, as well as additional stores in the U.S. and the UK.

The publicly traded Mulberry reported revenue of $266 million for its fiscal year 2012 (ended March 31), up about 39% from the prior year. International sales were up over 60%, the company reported.

Last month, MEC won the consolidated media planning and buying assignment in eight of SABMiller’s major European markets, with combined estimated spending of $100 million.

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