Photo: Scott Eells
The Hershey Co. consolidated its global media planning and buying at Interpublic’s UM network, sources said.
Finalists in the review included Publicis Groupe’s Zenith and incumbent Omnicom’s OMD.
In July, when Hershey’s announced second-quarter sales rose 6.7 percent, it also said advertising investment this year will rise 20 percent. Last year Hershey spent $450 million in measured media, per Nielsen. That amount does not include online spending.
The confectionery company launched a media agency review last December for TV, print, digital in both the general and Hispanic markets in the U.S. as well as globally, which includes growth regions like China, Mexico, India and Brazil.
In a statement, Hershey’s said the selection of UM was based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the participating agencies, including their capabilities in the U.S. and in key international markets. The transition from OMD to UM begins Sept. 1.
OMD has handled Hershey’s media buying since 2002 when Hershey consolidated the business after a review. (Media planning remained with aligned brand agencies.) That consolidation was a change from Hershey’s historical media-buying relationships, which involved separate agency of record assignments by dayparts. At the time the company said, “The new single point of contact for all media buying will enhance Hershey Foods’ ability to take advantage of cross-platform and bundled media deals from network ownership deals.”
The review did not impact Hershey’s creative agency, Havas’ Arnold.
