Samsung has concluded its global advertising review with its incumbent agencies, Publicis Groupe’s Starcom and Leo Burnett, retaining their sections of the business. The company has also added independent Wieden & Kennedy, as well as Publicis-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) to its creative roster. The decision by Samsung giant is good news for the French agency network as the Korean technology giant is a major player in international advertising.
The global account went out for global pitches at the end of May, but the United States’ business, which is handled by MDC’s 72 and Sunny, was not part of the review. McKinney, which is part of Samsung’s Chiel group, also works on the business in the US.
For the digital and media pitches, Interpublic involved BPN and WPP had GroupM acting on its behalf. Last year, Samsung spent $3.83 billion in worldwide advertising, the Ad Age DataCenter reports. Despite a strong lead in global smartphone sales, Samsung has struggled to maintain its market share. Recent business media reports expect operating income to drop by 24 per cent, largely due to decreasing phone sales generally.
