P&G seeks digital agencies after dropping i-level

by Ed Kemp, Marketing 16-Aug-06

Procter & Gamble has parted company with digital agency i-level as it looks to increase its marketing budget for digital media.

The FMCG giant's associate director of UK media, Bernard Balderston,
confirmed that i-level would no longer be working on the company's
Duracell, Oral-B and Gillette brands in the UK and that agencies would

be sought to handle each brand.

Sources suggest that P&G did not believe that the agency was big enough
to handle the accounts, although Balderston would not comment on
this.

P&G spends less than £1m a year on online marketing in the UK,
according to Nielsen Media Research, but now intends to boost its spend
significantly in the UK and other territories.

The first indications that the company intended to increase its online
spend came a year ago, when Balderston spoke of its plan to embrace
digital media and gradually shift its marketing budget away from TV.

P&G has already sounded out a number of specialist agencies about a
pitch for its first pan-European digital roster.

The company recently appointed Starcom to handle its online media
planning and buying in the UK. Starcom previously handled buying, while
ZenithOptimedia dealt with planning.