After Coca-Cola, WPP loses $1.7 billion Mars media account to rival Publicis

WPP has suffered another major setback. After losing Coca-Cola’s $700 million North American media account and seeing Paramount end its 20-year relationship with the company earlier this year, the British advertising group has now lost Mars’ $1.7 billion global media account to French rival Publicis.

The loss came a day after WPP CEO Mark Read said he was retiring from the post.

Mars, as per marketing news website The Drum, “has appointed Publicis to lead its media, production, paid social and influencer and connected commerce capabilities, with IPG’s Weber Shandwick set to oversee a supercharged approach to brand PR, with both agencies tasked with bringing culture and conversation even closer to the portfolio of iconic brands at Mars.”

WPP had won the Mars account in 2018 and managed its media buying and planning through GroupM, now known as WPP Media.