H&R Block Consolidates $146 Million Media Assignment With Publicis Media Agencies

Tax prep giant H&R Block has consolidated its media assignment with Publicis Media agencies. The firm is shifting its estimated $80 million broadcast media planning and buying assignment from  Omnicom’s OMD to Publicis Media’s Mediavest | Spark, effective immediately. And sibling agency Fallon, also part of Publicis and the client’s creative agency, picked up social media duties from WPP’s VML.

The appointments were made after what was said to be an informal review that took just a few weeks to complete. Sources indicated that H&R Block wanted a more integrated messaging approach across media.

The client broke the news about the broadcast assignment shift in a memo to media vendors last week. In the memo, the firm said OMD will be working to finalize post buys and related billing through the second quarter.

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Razorfish, also part of Publicis Media, will continue as Block’s Digital AOR. Block spent approximately $146 million on ads across all media in 2016, according to Kantar Media.

In the memo to broadcast media vendors, company CMO Kathy Collins wrote: “To help expedite this transition and 2017/2018 planning, please provide copies of all paperwork pertaining to the full 2016/2017 broadcast year to our team at Mediavest | Spark. Please include details regarding inventory, pricing, audience guarantees, cancellation/expansion options, allocations, unit length splits, and added value summaries by May 19.”

For Mediavest | Spark, the award adds to a win streak that began in January and includes new business assignments from KFC, Mattel, and Bel Group.

 

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