Omnicom-IPG merger, Apple conflict triggered Samsung India’s Rs 300 crore media pitch

Samsung India’s decision to initiate a multi-agency media pitch for its estimated Rs 300-crore advertising mandate is being driven by concerns arising from the global merger between Interpublic Group (IPG) and Omnicom, according to senior industry executives. The consolidation has created a potential conflict-of-interest scenario involving Apple, Samsung’s biggest global rival, prompting the Korean electronics major to re-evaluate its long-standing media agency relationships in India.

The pitch, first reported by Storyboard18 marks a significant shift in Samsung India’s media strategy after more than a decade of association with IPG-owned Lodestar. The mandate covers media planning and buying across all Samsung product categories, including mobile phones, consumer electronics, and home appliances, making it one of the largest media account reviews in the Indian advertising market this year.

Experts pointed out that Omnicom’s role as Apple’s long-standing global media agency, responsible for media planning and buying across major markets is the primary trigger. With IPG's media agencies set to merge into Omnicom, Samsung executives are understood to have flagged concerns over both companies—bitter rivals in smartphones and consumer electronics—ultimately being housed within the same advertising holding company ecosystem.

EXCLUSIVE: Samsung India calls Rs 300 crore media pitch, reviews 12 year Lodestar mandate

“Even though agencies maintain strict firewalls, for a brand like Samsung, the competitive risk—real or perceived—becomes too significant to ignore,” said a senior media executive familiar with the matter. “Media today is deeply tied to data, performance metrics, and consumer insights, which makes competitive overlap far more sensitive.”

Samsung India had moved its media business to Lodestar UM in late 2013 as part of a regional restructuring, even as Publicis Groupe’s Starcom continued to handle large portions of Samsung’s global media mandate. Historically, Starcom has been one of Samsung’s most entrenched agency partners.

In 2007, the Publicis Groupe agency won the account after a global review, displacing WPP’s Mindshare, which had handled the business across nearly 60 markets since 2004. More recently, in 2021, Publicis successfully retained Samsung’s US media and digital business following a competitive pitch.

However, the IPG–Omnicom merger appears to have altered the calculus. Sources said Samsung’s Rs 300-crore India mandate is among the first major accounts to move away from an IPG agency following the announcement of the global consolidation, highlighting how mergers among agency holding companies can directly impact client relationships on the ground.

As part of the ongoing pitch, Samsung has invited WPP Media, Publicis Groupe’s Starcom, and independent agency Madison World to compete for the business. Omnicom Media India agencies have not been invited to participate, effectively ruling out any Omnicom-owned agency from consideration, despite Lodestar’s incumbent status.

There are higher chances that the Starcom in India will bag the account due to major global alignment with the brand. While Dentsu’s prospects are said to be limited, as the Japanese holding company currently handles media duties for LG Electronics, a direct competitor to Samsung across smartphones, televisions, and home appliances. While such conflicts are not always deal-breakers, advertisers typically prefer to avoid agency overlaps in highly competitive categories.

‘We did not sign up for chaos’: Omnicom–IPG merger sparks client jitters

Samsung remains one of India’s largest advertisers, with media spends spread across television, digital platforms, print, and emerging channels. India is also a critical market for the company’s global operations, serving both as a manufacturing hub and a high-growth consumer market amid intensifying competition from Apple, Chinese smartphone brands, and domestic electronics players.

Industry watchers believe the outcome of the pitch will be closely tracked, not just for its size, but for what it signals about how global advertisers respond to agency consolidation. As IPG and Omnicom move towards integration, more such realignments are expected, particularly where large competing brands find themselves uncomfortably close within the same holding company structure.