USA
Publicis Lands PepsiCo’s Global Media Business, Withdraws From Coca-Cola Pitch: PepsiCo has selected Publicis Groupe to manage its global media operations, giving the agency holding company one of the advertising industry’s most significant international accounts.
The appointment represents a major addition to Publicis’ global client portfolio and strengthens its position in the increasingly competitive media, advertising and marketing services sector.
PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, operates a vast portfolio of brands across snacks, beverages and food products. Its global marketing activities represent billions of dollars in annual investment, making the account strategically important for any major agency group.
Publicis exits Coca-Cola global pitch
The PepsiCo win also brings a significant change to another high-profile agency review.
Publicis has withdrawn from the global media pitch for Coca-Cola, choosing not to compete for the company’s worldwide media account. The development is particularly notable because Publicis already manages Coca-Cola’s U.S. media business, which it won from WPP in 2025.
The contrasting developments involving two of the world’s largest beverage companies illustrate the high stakes surrounding global media accounts and the increasingly competitive battle among advertising holding companies.
A major boost for Publicis
The PepsiCo appointment comes as global advertisers increasingly seek agencies capable of bringing together media, data, technology, artificial intelligence, commerce and performance marketing.
Publicis has invested heavily in these capabilities, positioning itself as a technology-enabled marketing and communications company rather than solely a traditional advertising agency.
The addition of PepsiCo further expands that global footprint and could provide Publicis with opportunities to coordinate media strategies across multiple markets and product categories.
Global advertising landscape continues to evolve
The agency changes reflect broader transformation across the advertising industry. Major multinational brands are reassessing long-standing agency relationships as digital platforms, artificial intelligence, first-party data and performance marketing reshape how advertising budgets are allocated.
For PepsiCo, working with a major global agency group offers the potential for greater coordination of media planning and buying across markets, while also integrating data and technology into its marketing strategy.
