Unilever has announced a review of its media buying and planning business, putting incumbents Mindshare, IPG and PHD on alert.
A Unilever spokesperson confirmed the review to Media, adding that it was in the early stages of a review process, held every three years.
The incumbent agency Mindshare, which holds the lions share of the Unilever business in Asia, is seriously vying to retain the account.
Mindshare’s markets include Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
On the other hand PHD handles markets including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and New Zealand.
The European markets are shared amongst Mindshare, PHD and IPG. Mindshare also handles Africa and North America and IPG handles Latin America.
In 2012, Unilever also handed PHD its global communication planning for all personal care, refreshment, foods and homecare brands. Meanwhile global planning for household care was to be managed by Initiative, as part of an integrated IPG solution.
