Mars Inc. has kept MediaCom as its $1 billion media management firm.
Mars Inc., the renowned confectionery, pet care, and food company, has announced an extension of its partnership with WPP agency for its media business. The new contract, which began last month, will run through the end of 2025.
The expanded partnership comes after an internal review of Mars Inc.'s media business, which ran for 10 months in 2021. The decision to continue with WPP agency was made in light of the agency's proven track record and the potential for further growth.
Under the new agreement, WPP will work on all three segments of the Mars business: Mars Wrigley, Mars Petcare, and Mars Food. The partnership will also include the use of WPP's data arm, Choreograph, and the addition of Essence to manage biddable media.
Essence, a data and AI-driven agency under Publicis Groupe, has been added to the partnership, signifying an expansion of the relationship beyond the original consolidation three years ago when WPP agency was first brought on board.
While Mars Inc.'s paid and influencer marketing work has moved away from WPP to Publicis Groupe, WPP retains a relationship with Mars primarily through the PR/earned media space on certain business segments. The Weber Shandwick Collective (part of Interpublic Group) has been chosen to lead earned media globally for Mars Snacking and Mars Petcare businesses starting in early 2026, replacing WPP in this area.
The move to Publicis Groupe reflects a broader trend of global CPG clients reallocating significant media spend and marketing functions to more tech-savvy, integrated agency models focusing on data, AI, and connected commerce, which Publicis is positioned to deliver.
Despite the shift in paid and influencer media responsibilities, Mars Inc.'s relationship with WPP continues to evolve, with a focus on leveraging Choreograph's capabilities for data and media orchestration. However, the current role of Choreograph in Mars' agency alignment is not explicitly referenced and may have been diminished in this new setup.
In summary, Mars Inc.'s extended partnership with WPP has been downsized primarily due to a strategic shift of paid and influencer media to Publicis Groupe, while earned media for key Mars business lines will be handled by The Weber Shandwick Collective. Essence (as part of Publicis) plays a role in the new media oversight. Choreograph's current role, if any, is not explicitly referenced and likely diminished in this new agency setup. Mars Snacking and Mars Petcare segments form the core of these agency and media changes.
The partnership expansion between Mars Inc. and WPP, initiated after a thorough review of Mars' media business, is not limited to the media sector as WPP will now oversee all three segments of Mars' business: Mars Wrigley, Mars Petcare, and Mars Food. Additionally, the collaboration will involve the use of WPP's data arm, Choreograph, signifying a significant role in Mars' finance and business strategies.
