Account Move

MEC scoops SABMiller's $125m European media biz

Global brewer SABMiller has appointed WPP-owned MEC to handle its estimated $125m European media planning and buying account, after a final shoot-out against sister agency Mediacom.

MEC will be tasked with promoting the brewer’s portfolio of brands, working on media campaigns across European markets including the UK, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

Incumbent agencies MPG Media Contacts and Carat, as well as IPG’s Initiative dropped out of the process in an earlier round. The review was led out of SABMiller’s Switzerland headquarters by SABMiller European head of insights Yvan Goupil.

“Thanks to this move, we will extract more value from our media investment whilst enhancing the effectiveness of our communication planning and our ability to transfer knowledge,” says SABMiller Europe marketing and sales director Stefan Homeister.

“Because it benefits all and every country involved, the appointment of MEC will also reinforce our ability to build our brands and serve our customers better,” he adds. “In that sense, it is a perfect illustration of our ambition to be the most local of the global brewers.”

SABMiller’s portfolio includes Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch, Miller Lite, Carling Black Label and Bulmers Original Cider.

Jenni Baker, London