Initiative loses mandate from Johnson & Johnson
Consumer goods manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has restructured its global media budget. In Europe, the contract was awarded to Carat, an Aegis subsidiary. It replaces the previous agency, Initiative, which also applies to Switzerland, as Stephan Küng, CEO of Initiative Switzerland, confirmed to *Werbewoche*.
The consumer goods manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has reorganized its global media budget. In Europe, the Aegis subsidiary Carat was awarded the contract. It replaces the previous budget holder Initiative. "This also applies to Switzerland," confirmed Initiative Switzerland CEO Stephan Küng to Werbewoche on request. His agency, which is part of the Interpublic network, will have to relinquish the mandate at the beginning of 2008. What is a loss for Küng's agency and its sister agencies in Europe is a gain for Interpublic's US agencies, Küng continued: In North America, the Interpublic agency Universal McCann will remain responsible for Johnson & Johnson's media relations. According to Horizont.net, slightly less than half of the approximately 3 billion dollar media budget is spent in the USA.
In Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, on the other hand, Johnson & Johnson is working with Omnicom subsidiary OMD.
In the USA, Johnson & Johnson has decided to separate traditional media tasks and strategic communications planning at the same time as reallocating the account. According to Horizont.net, this area is now shared between the New York office of the English agency Naked, the WPP subsidiary JWT and the Interpublic unit Sandbox.
In Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, on the other hand, Johnson & Johnson is working with Omnicom subsidiary OMD.
In the USA, Johnson & Johnson has decided to separate traditional media tasks and strategic communications planning at the same time as reallocating the account. According to Horizont.net, this area is now shared between the New York office of the English agency Naked, the WPP subsidiary JWT and the Interpublic unit Sandbox.
