• Publicis Media Secures $600 Million Hershey’s Account, Zenith Wins Very Group, and Havas Acquires Ocado

    Publicis Media Secures $600 Million Hershey’s Account, Zenith Wins Very Group, and Havas Acquires Ocado

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    This week saw significant shifts in major media accounts: Hershey has awarded its entire U.S. media account, valued at approximately $600 million, to MiltonOne, a new entity created by Publicis Media and named after Hershey’s founder. This account includes Hershey’s candy, mint, gum, salty snacks, and protein brands, which were previously handled by various agencies, including Dentsu, Horizon Media, Harmelin Media, and Omnicom.

    In the UK, Publicis Media also secured a substantial account worth $77 million for the Very Group through Zenith. Competitors for this account included WPP’s Wavemaker and MSQ’s Walk-In Media, while DentsuX chose not to repitch. The Very Group is owned by the Barclay Brothers, who have faced recent financial challenges, particularly with their flagship property, The Telegraph.

    Additionally, the UK grocery delivery firm Ocado has transitioned from Omnicom’s Hearts & Science to Havas Media Network, with iProspect and VCCP Media also having competed for the account.

    Several significant media account reviews are still pending, including Amazon at IPG’s Mediabrands, as well as Unilever and Sky, both of which are primarily handled by WPP’s GroupM. These accounts are large enough to impact the overall financial performance of the respective holding companies.