WPP Lands $700 Million Reckitt Media Account Across Europe
WPP has been selected by reckitt to manage media planning and buying across 21 European markets in a deal estimated at $700 million, according to COMvergence. This consolidation represents a critically important shift for Reckitt, who previously utilized a fragmented approach, working with agencies including Zenith, Dentsu, IPG, Omnicom Media Group, and havas across the region. Publicis and Dentsu were also finalists in the competitive pitch process.
The partnership will see WPP Media develop and execute integrated campaigns for Reckitt’s diverse portfolio of health, hygiene, and nutrition brands, including household names like Durex, Nurofen, Strepsils, Gaviscon, Veet, Dettol, Finish, and Vanish.
Central to WPP’s offering is the WPP Open platform, a key differentiator in the pitch. This technology allows for collaborative data analysis from various sources – including first-party data, “walled garden” platforms, and retail media networks – without requiring data sharing or movement, promising enhanced privacy and agility.
“reckitt brands are an important part of the daily lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world,” stated WPP CEO Cindy Rose.”We are proud to partner with a company that so many people trust to keep their homes, families and loved ones safe and healthy. We are excited to work with Reckitt to rewrite the rules of marketing in the age of artificial intelligence and make all of WPP’s capabilities available to Reckitt in Europe.”
WPP will implement an integrated model, leveraging both local market expertise and centralized governance, powered by WPP Open, to deliver consistency, scale, and efficiency across all 21 European countries.
Ryan Dullea, Reckitt’s Chief Category Growth Officer, emphasized the strategic importance of the move. “This is an important milestone in simplifying the way we market and ensuring strategy and media execution work together. This decision reflects our ambition to achieve greater consistency, efficiency and scale across markets, enabling us to deliver more unified, data-driven campaigns that accelerate the growth of our brands.”
