GSK’s consumer healthcare division has appointed nine agencies to a simplified global roster covering advertising, digital, content, PR, expert and shopper marketing.

The appointments come as part of a “rigorous roster review” after GSK set-up a joint venture (JV) with fellow drugs firm Novartis, which GSK claims has been a catalyst for change and brought in an injection of new “talent, energy and ambition”.

Both PHD and MediaCom are remaining as media agencies following the review. Grey, Saatchi & Saatchi, Weber Shandwick and Havas have been appointed to the advertising roster.

WPP Digital, Havas and Weber Shandwick will handle the digital roster, while all the digital agencies will also all be on the ‘content’ roster, in addition to Edelman.

Edelman will share PR responsibility with Weber Shandwick, while McCann Health and Ogilvy Commonhealth have won places on the ‘expert’ roster, and Geometry will be solely responsible for shopper marketing.

Following the review GSK has committed to increasing investment in digital in order to create more “efficiencies” with targeted digital marketing.

In a statement, the pharmaceutical firm said: “By delivering synergies we have the opportunity not just to save costs, but to improve agility. As part of this, the simplified agency roster will improve speed to market, minimise duplication, build creative scale and achieve savings.

“We will be able to reinvest savings in non-working media into working media where we see growth from data driven content marketing, social and digital engagement.”

Agencies to have been removed from the global roster as part of the review include CHI & Partners, DDB and TBWA Worldwide.

Seven power brands – Voltaren, Panadol, Sensodyne, Theraflu, Otrivin, Parodontax, Poligrip – sit at the heart of GSK’s consumer healthcare strategy.

GSK’s power brands have a higher gross margin than the average consumer healthcare product. The consumer healthcare range accounts for 25% of GSK’s overall revenues.