Mars, one of the largest consumer packaged goods companies, is transferring its $1.7 billion media account from WPP to Publicis, according to two sources familiar with the move.
This transition further impacts WPP’s media division, following Coca-Cola’s recent decision to award $800 million in North American media billings to Publicis. The shift results from a comprehensive review of Mars’ agency structure initiated last fall, encompassing media, production, social, commerce, brand PR, and influencer marketing. Omnicom, which continues to handle Mars’ creative work, may expand its role, though this remains uncertain.
Initially, Mars planned to reduce its agency partners from three holding companies—WPP for media, Publicis for commerce, and IPG for PR—to two. Although Mars has not publicly confirmed this, it was apparent during the pitch process. The strategy has since evolved.
WPP, Publicis, Omnicom, and Mars did not respond to requests for comment.
The timing of Mars’ move coincides with WPP CEO Mark Read’s announcement that he will step down at the end of the year, concluding a seven-year tenure marked by a halving of WPP’s market capitalization to roughly $6 billion and a loss of key clients. Despite efforts such as partnerships with Nvidia, the acquisition of InfoSum, and business restructuring, WPP has struggled amid a challenging advertising market and structural changes in the agency industry.
Last year, WPP lost its position as the world’s largest advertising holding company by revenue to Publicis. While Read emphasized WPP’s strategic focus on artificial intelligence and operational efficiency, some marketers felt the company’s progress lagged behind competitors.
Publicis has aggressively expanded through acquisitions like Influential, Captive8, and Lotame. Meanwhile, Omnicom and IPG are exploring a mega-merger that could reshape the U.S. ad industry.
WPP is working to strengthen its media operations under the leadership of GroupM veteran Brian Lesser, with initiatives like the Open Media Studio and a renewed push for efficiency. However, industry analysts caution that scalable growth requires clear direction and measurable results.
“Lesser and WPP Media need room to execute their strategy for building their leadership, consolidating their media operations and to fully implement Open Media Studio,” said Jay Pattisall, VP and senior agency analyst at Forrester.
“Holding companies were built on the promise of scale,” added Marcy Samet, former holding company executive and founder of the LBRB COLLECTIVE. “But scale without cohesion, direction, and measurable growth is not a strength. It’s a liability. Creative wins don’t always mean the business is thriving. AI claims don’t mean transformation is real. And being everywhere doesn’t mean you’re focused where it counts.”