Hasta La Creative!

Anheuser-Busch InBev has begun a global media agency review, putting in play planning and buying duties for the world’s largest brewer. The incumbent on the U.S. business is WPP’s MediaCom, which has held the account since late 2014.

Globally, the goal is to consolidate the business with one or two agencies, an AB InBev spokesman said. At present, brewer uses eight agencies spanning all major holding companies to handle media operations in more than 50 countries. Every agency holding company has been invited to pitch, the spokesman said. The brewer is using Media Link as its search consultant, while Media Path will handle auditing. The process is expected to formally begin in April with the decision coming by the second half of this year.

The review comes several months after AB InBev’s $103 billion acquisition of SABMiller, which closed late last year. It is common for companies to seek media efficiencies via agency consolidations in the wake of major mergers and AB InBev is no different. The brewer wants to “drive consistency in our media rates and ways of working,” the spokesman stated in an email.

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