Facebook puts $750 million global media account up for review

Facebook has put its global media account up for review, Campaign US has learned. 

The account is worth US$750 million, according to Comvergence. The pitch is being managed by ID Comms, according to sources close to the pitch.

Mindshare and Dentsu are the incumbents and are participating in the pitch, which includes media planning and buying across Facebook’s entire business—Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger.

Facebook, Mindshare and Dentsu did not reply to requests for comment in time for publication. 

In addition to being one of the largest global ad platforms, Facebook is also a massive advertiser. According to AdAge, the company increased ad spend 43% in 2020, bringing it to the top of the list as one of the world’s largest ad spenders.

Recently, Facebook has directed that budget to a campaign urging support for targeted advertising because of its ability to help small businesses reach their customers. 

On the creative side, Facebook splits its business between different agencies by app. Ogilvy is the agency of record for Instagram; Wieden + Kennedy handles creative for Facebook properties; Leo Burnett is AOR for Messenger; BBDO does creative for WhatsApp; and Droga5 is the agency of record for the corporate brand. 

Facebook also has an internal creative agency, Creative X, that does work across the brand.

The media pitch marks the latest massive advertiser to put its global account up for review in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Coca-Cola put its $4 billion creative and media account up for review late last year with the goal of streamlining its agency roster. A month later, Unilever put its global media agency roster into review in what will likely be one of the largest pitches of the year.

Brands are reconsidering their agency models as the world emerges from the pandemic, setting 2021 up to be a year of major account shifts in the business.