WPP, Omnicom under review as Mercedes rethinks media

Mercedes-Benz is carrying out a major shake-up of its media planning and buying, and it is understood the business “may change hands” in some countries as a result.

The review, called the Media Strategy Project, is being run out of Mercedes headquarters in Stuttgart by head of media management Sven Dörrenbächer. The project involves formulating Mercedes’ media strategy across six markets, including the UK, between now and 2015.

Mercedes global business is split between WPP Group and Omnicom. Each regional market is serviced by an agency owned by one of the two networks. In the UK it is handled by WPP-owned BJK&E. From a global perspective, the business is split fairly evenly between the two groups.

The company sought the opinions of Mercedes marketers from the respective regions and then held a conference in Germany last month to discuss how the company should best “manage big challenges in the media landscape”.

It is understood that representatives from WPP and Omnicom attended the conference to discuss how the company can best leverage its media opportunities.

Dörrenbächer says that while Mercedes is happy that the business is split between the two groups, some elements may change hands following the review. The project is expected to conclude in the next two months, with a “precise outlook” being agreed after the summer.

He adds that it is also possible that Mercedes will carry out some internal “organisational redefinement” as a result of the review.