TLDR
WPP Media Australia & NZ has kept Coca-Cola's media account after the company's global review, with the OpenX unit inside EssenceMediacom continuing to run it. Omnicom won North America; Dentsu keeps Japan and South Korea.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Australia and New Zealand stay with WPP
WPP Media Australia & NZ has kept Coca-Cola's media account in Australia and New Zealand after The Coca-Cola Company's global review. The bespoke OpenX unit inside EssenceMediacom will continue to service the account locally.[1]
WPP has held Coca-Cola's global account since late 2021 and keeps the global partnership, reportedly worth $7.5 billion, through its WPP Open X model.[1] WPP Open X keeps global media in every market except North America, Japan and South Korea, and the new structure will be introduced in phases from 1 December.[2]
Omnicom takes North America
Omnicom will be Coca-Cola's media partner in North America, working with WPP StudioX, while Dentsu keeps Japan and South Korea.[2] Omnicom's North American remit covers media, data, customer relationship management, loyalty and creators.[3]
Digiday estimated the US and Canada account at US$700 million to US$800 million and reported that WPP did not pitch for North America, concentrating on keeping the global business. The win came about seven weeks after Omnicom lost PepsiCo's account to Publicis.[4] Omnicom chief executive John Wren told investors: "Any business we win from Coke would be incremental to our existing revenue and our existing relationship."[4]
What Coca-Cola said
Manolo Arroyo, Coca-Cola's executive vice president and chief marketing and customer commercial officer, said: "We began this process with a clear objective: ensure we have the right partners, capabilities and operating model." He added that "WPP delivered a stellar performance during the reviews".[2]
None of the reports gave a value for the Australian business.
SOURCES & CITATIONS
- B&T, WPP Media Australia & NZ retains Coca-Cola amid global reshuffle, 23 October 2026
- Campaign Brief, WPP Media retains Coca-Cola media in Australia and New Zealand following global review, 23 October 2026
- Mediaweek, Coca-Cola retains WPP, appoints Omnicom in North America, 22 October 2026
- Digiday, Omnicom lands Coca-Cola's North American media business, 22 October 2026
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who handles Coca-Cola's media in Australia?
Who won Coca-Cola's North American media?
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When do the changes take effect?
James Dore is founder and editor of Prompt the Market and Strategy Director at Bushnote, a Sydney strategy, SEO and AI search agency. He has a background in strategy, media and financial services, and led consumer product marketing at MONEYME. He writes on AI search, answer engines, technology policy and media economics.
