• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, January 4, 2004

After an extremely volatile year of media account turnover in 2002, Madison Avenue experienced a relatively stable year in 2003. A total of $6.1 billion in media account billings changed agencies during 2003, a decline of 29 percent from the $8.7 billion that turned over in 2002, according to estimates released Friday by MediaAnalysisPlus (MAP).

That, of course, was good news and bad news for the major media shops. It was good news, because it signaled a return of client stability after a roller coaster period that followed the crash of the media economy in 2001. It was bad news, because it meant that 2003 had a third less new business opportunities for growth than 2002 did.

The slowdown in media account turnover occurred despite some notable account switches and consolidations during 2003, said Jim Surmanek, CEO of MAP, which issued its December 2003 MAP Barometer on Friday.

"Although big media accounts like Bank of America, Burger King and Coke were reassigned in 2003, the monthly pace was slower than that of 2002 and the accounts tended to be smaller on average," said Surmanek, adding, "The average media account that changed hands in 2002 was $55 million. Last year it was $45 million."

In fact, 2003 ended on an especially moderate note, with only $321 million in media billings shifting agencies in December, down from $829 million in December 2002.

Twelve advertisers shifted their media assignments in December compared with 10 in November. The average number of media assignments that changed hands each month in 2003 was 11.25, while the monthly average for 2002 was 13.1.

December, Calendar '03 Media Account Shifts

Advertiser            Loser             Winner
Billings 
Best Contacts         Pro Media         Harmelin Media   $10 mil 
Champion Mortgage     Martin Agency     PHD              $18 mil 
Chase Consumer        FCB               Martin
Agency    $14 mil 
EpiPen                Gillespie         BBDO             $10 mil 
Kaiser Permanente     Initiative Media  Campbell-Ewald   $40 mil 
Mylanta               Zenith Media
Universal        $16 mil 
Pentax                In-house          Della Femina     $15 mil  
Pepcid AC             Zenith Media      Universal        $48 mil 
Rockaway Bedding      Various
Goldberg Fossa   $10 mil  
St. Joseph's Aspirin  Zenith Media      Universal        $20 mil 
Tylenol               Zenith Media      Universal       $100 mil 
Valvoline             Lowe
Borders Perrin   $20 mil 

Total December 2003                                     $321 mil 
Total December 2002                                     $275 mil 

Total 2003
$6.1 bil 
Total 2002                                              $8.7 bil 

Source: December 2003 MAP Barometer, MediaAnalysisPlus.