In the final round of pitching for the Subaru media account, B&T understands that it is a battle between EssenceMediacom, Havas Media and incumbent Starcom.
Starcom has held the media account for the Japanese automotive brand, managing its media buying and planning until it was put up for review earlier this year.
While industry sources have confirmed that it is down to EssenceMediacom and Havas Media, B&T understands that Starcom is still involved in the final stages of pitching.
It is likely the final call will come down to a battle of AI, tech and data-driven offerings, with both agencies having recently made considerable investments in these fields.
A win for EssenceMediacom would top off a period of success. Last month, GroupM-owned agency retained the Queensland Government media account, underscoring its “transformed approach to media buying and planning” with a pitch underpinned by its AI-powered WPP Open, the marketing operating system run by its parent company, WPP.
Havas is also undergoing a period of growth and investment, recently announcing a $400 million dollar boost in funding to enhance its AI, data and technology capabilities while also extending its partnership with YouGov that drives client insights for the agency.
According to the COMVergence figures, Starcom had a strong 2023, securing $51 million in new business and $80 million worth of retained business. In that COMVergence report, Starcom retained the Subaru account in 2023.
The Works, part of Capgemini, currently holds the creative account for the brand.
B&T contacted GroupM and Havas Media, both of which declined to comment.
