A single decision by PepsiCo has changed the balance of power across two major global media accounts. At the beginning of September, the company appointed Publicis Groupe as its exclusive lead global media partner, after which the French group withdrew from the process to select an agency for the international business of Coca-Cola.
The appointment did not follow a conventional competitive pitch but a review of its partners’ media capabilities. Through the new One PepsiCo operating model, Publicis will connect media strategy, planning and activation with data, technology and connected identity management across more than 200 markets.
The intention is to prevent the large number of local media operations from being managed as a collection of separate systems. PepsiCo wants a global infrastructure that will provide shared standards and data while retaining room for decisions adapted to individual markets. The new model will include brands such as Pepsi, Lay’s and Gatorade.
“Powered by data and AI, this transformation will help PepsiCo deliver more relevant consumer connections, make smarter marketing decisions across paid, earned, shared and owned to improve the impact of its media investments and accelerate our consumer led growth,” the company said.
For Omnicom, the appointment means losing an account it had managed for more than two decades in major markets, including the US and the UK. The partnership, however, has not ended. Omnicom remains, as PepsiCo described it, a “critical strategic partner” for creative, sports and public relations work, including through the agencies BBDO, TBWA and Goodby Silverstein & Partners.
Publicis is also not an entirely new partner to the company. Before the global appointment, it managed PepsiCo’s media business in parts of Asia and Eastern Europe, including China, India, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Different sources estimate the value of the global media account at between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion. During 2025, PepsiCo spent a total of $5.4 billion on marketing, of which approximately $3.4 billion was allocated to advertising.
PepsiCo’s choice immediately had consequences for another process. Publicis withdrew from the pitch for Coca-Cola’s global media, data science and technology business, which is being handled by MediaSense. It had been competing against WPP in the final stage of the process.
Coca-Cola’s review covers major markets around the world, excluding North America, where the company appointed Publicis in 2025, and Japan and South Korea, where Dentsu is responsible for the business. By withdrawing from the international pitch, Publicis effectively gave priority to its new and considerably broader relationship with PepsiCo, while WPP remained the leading contender for the remaining portion of Coca-Cola’s global media account.
