World: New-business Analysis - dollars 1.5bn Nestle becomes biggest account in play.(Illustration)

P&G ends its media search, but major accounts are still active.

In mid-July, Procter & Gamble finally decided on Starcom Mediavest and Carat to handle its planning in the US. The decision brings to an end a four-month review for an account estimated to be valued at dollars 4 billion. Losing out in the review were Media Planning Group, which ran Bounty, and MediaCom, which previously held around 15 per cent of the business.

In a statement, P&G said planning agencies better integrate the communication strategies at the company. The marked growth in the role of media planning at the FMCG giant sees it mirroring a similar stance as its arch-rival Unilever, which adopted a media planning strategy including PR and promotion in 2001. Unilever's European media account is still up for grabs and won't be decided until December. At dollars 1.2 billion, it will be a good present for whoever shares that business.

There is movement, at last, in creative accounts, too. McCann Erickson New York pulled off two new-business wins last month, taking the Pfizer Viagra account, worth dollars 100 million, away from the incumbent, Cline Davis & Mann, and the Staples office supplies account from Martin/Williams. Lowe proved that its troubles stretched across the network, when it lost its dollars 50 million Voom account to Mullen.

Meanwhile, all eyes are on Samsung. Delays in the decision, which was due in June, are ascribed to the inevitable logistical problems of clearing diaries as big as WPP's Sir Martin Sorrell's.

 
ACCOUNTS UNDER REVIEW 
CLIENT: NESTLE 
Task: Media planning and buying, global 
Budget: dollars 1.5bn 
Shortlist: IPG, WPP, Publicis 
Incumbent: MindShare, OMD, Universal McCann 
Decision: August 
Consultant: n/s 
 
CLIENT: UNILEVER 
Task: Media buying, Europe 
Budget: dollars 1.2bn 
Shortlist: Initiative, MindShare, Carat, OMD 
Incumbent: Initiative, MindShare 
Decision: December 
Consultant: n/s 
 
CLIENT: SAMSUNG 
Task: Creative, media, global 
Budget: dollars 400m 
Shortlist: WPP, Publicis Groupe, IPG 
Incumbent: Foote Cone & Belding (IPG) 
Decision: August 
Consultant: None 
 
CLIENT: SC JOHNSON & SON 
Task: Media buying, global (broadcast only) 
Budget: dollars 350m 
Shortlist: Initiative, ZOG, Universal McCann 
Incumbent: Initiative, ZOG, Universal McCann 
Decision: Imminent 
Consultant: None  ...