The company has consolidated media for its three units with one agency in GCC and the Levant, following a multi-agency pitch.
Mindshare has won the media duties across three Danone units Alsafi Danone, Danone Nutricia and Danone Waters for the year 2015, following a three-way pitch. The mandate includes digital.
As reported by Campaign Middle East, Danone had invited Havas Media, Initiative and Mindshare to pitch for the account, with scope covering GCC and the Levant. This marked the first time the company consolidated the media duties for its three business units under one entity.
The incumbents on the account are Mindshare (Alsafi Danone), MEC (Danone Nutricia) and Havas Media (Danone Waters). The pitch happened in end-October 2014 and was headed by Rizwan Ali, integrated marketing communications manager, Alsafi Danone.
On the pitch, he said, “The Danone media pitch was an extensive exercise that started in March 2014 and took us 10 months to finally select Mindshare as our media agency. Although the capabilities and talent from all three agencies were quite remarkable, it was Mindshare’s proposition that stood out versus others and proved to be the best fit in providing us the direction we needed in digital media, integrated strategic planning and value creation.
“Life at Danone is changing as we clearly see ourselves benefiting by positioning ourselves in the business of loved brands. We’re not there yet, but that is an ambition we have and that’s what we want to strive for. This is the beginning to a new start for the three Danone businesses where we have consolidated our media investments in the region and where we see Mindshare with a specific remit to the capabilities it will bring to help us grow our businesses, our categories and most essentially creating enduring bonds with our brands for people.”
