Following a closely fought three-way pitch, Beiersdorf Middle East FZCO (BME) has awarded OMD, part of the Omnicom Media Group, its media buying and planning account for 2007 onwards. The most lucrative asset within the BME portfolio is the globally recognized NIVEA brand.
Marketing Director for Beiersdorf Jean-Manuel Canga-Valles gave the following insightful comments: “The three-way pitch, including our present incumbent Universal Media, was mediated over by a professional third party from the UK, specializing in the pitch process and in-depth buying analysis, bringing with it global expertise in this field. This allowed us to facilitate a very objective view throughout the entire decision process resulting in a close-run but clear winner for our business”.
Elie Khouri, Regional Managing Director of Omnicom Media Group, added: “There have been strong links between Beiersdorf and OMD for many years and across many markets. We are very proud to have extended this relationship to the Middle East. Today more than ever, the name of the game is integration, something we have amply demonstrated in this process, working closely with our network, partners and specialist units. BME will clearly benefit from this single vision and approach.”
Shadi Kandil, OMD’s General Manager, concurred: “To say that we are delighted to have prevailed in this extensive review is quite an understatement. Most of us have grown up with NIVEA, a brand we still treasure today, and to be entrusted with its future in the region gives us a huge sense of pride and responsibility. We’re also thrilled to have found in BME a client who values communication in the total sense of the term, allowing us to deliver modern and integrated solutions to their brand needs.”
Managing Director for Beiersdorf Middle East, Robert Taylor-Hughes concluded: “Naturally, when you have been with the same agency for over 20 years you do not take the pitch process lightly. NIVEA was the first multinational brand for the FP7/UM7 group and some 20 yrs later they now creatively represent and/or buy for Unilever, Johnson & Johnson and L’Oreal. So whilst it is difficult to leave behind the strong relationships we have built, I do not think they can be too upset that we are moving forwards to find our own media space and avoid the present cosmetic clutter”.
He continued: “Whilst the spot quantity/CPT cost ratio of buying was one factor in the decision making process, we also looked carefully for strategic thinking, use of new media and in-depth consumer insights. Only one agency truly demonstrated equal strength in all areas and this was OMD. I strongly believe that OMD and our above-the-line creative agency TBWA\RAAD will work very closely together in modernizing the media mix for Beiersdorf brands. The timing for this change is quite crucial as we will more than double our media budget for 2007 vs. 2006 as part of the new FZCO affiliate company investment project for our Middle East region.”
OMD is a leading global media specialist network, with a presence in over 80 countries, and the largest media specialist network in the Middle East. OMD is part of the Omnicom Media Group, a unit of the OMNICOM Group, the world’s largest communication group that also owns three agency networks, BBDO, DDB and TBWA. In 2006, OMD was named Media Network of the Year by Media & Marketing Europe. The Gunn Report for Media also named OMD as the world most awarded media network for two years running. OMD employs more than 4,300 experts globally and works for 15,000 companies.
