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ID CommsJan 12, 20212 min read

T-Mobile Awards Initiative Its $2 Billion U.S. Media Business

Campaign US:
T-Mobile hands its $2 billion U.S. media account to Initiative

Spark Foundry and Essence lost the business, and Horizon retained the Sprint Boost account, which is now owned by Dish.

T-Mobile wrapped up a $2.1 billion media review kicked off in September, and IPG Mediabrand's Initiative is the big winner, Campaign US has learned.

The review, which began in September, includes duties for Sprint’s $1.1 billion media account, after the telcos officially merged in April. The pitch was run by ID Comms. 
Horizon Media previously held Sprint's media business for Sprint pre-paid mobile carrier Boost, which was worth roughly $300 million. Sprint handled search and performance media in-house, which was about $350 million. Horizon will retain the Boost business, which Sprint sold to Dish for $1.4 billion in July.

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AdAge:
T-Mobile awards Initiative its $2 billion U.S. media business

T-Mobile has awarded its lucrative media account to Interpublic Group of Cos.' Initiative, following a review that kicked off last September.

According to Ad Age's Datacenter, the mobile communications conglomerate spent $2.3 billion on measured media in the U.S. in 2019. The review though, which was managed by ID Comms, also included its Sprint business.

“Now that Sprint is part of T-Mobile, we’re operating on a bigger scale and taking on bigger and bolder goals," T-Mobile Chief Marketing Officer Matt Staneff said in a statement. "As part of that, we reviewed agency relationships over the last few months. Our team heard from the best of the best and saw incredible thinking to help fuel our next phase of growth. We are grateful to those who took part and congratulate the team at Initiative for their well-deserved success!”

According to people close to the matter, Initiative was the only newcomer in the review, beating out incumbents GroupM's Essence, Horizon Media and Publicis Media. Initative and Publicis Media were the finalists, says one person with knowledge of the situation.

 

 

AdWeek:
T-Mobile Names IPG’s Initiative as US Media Agency of Record

T-Mobile will have a new agency partner to handle its media buying and planning in the U.S., ending relationships with three incumbent holding companies in the process.

The mobile carrier appointed IPG’s Initiative as its U.S. media agency of record following a media review led by ID Comms, which T-Mobile launched last year in the wake of a merger with Sprint.

“Now that Sprint is part of T-Mobile, we’re operating on a bigger scale and taking on bigger and bolder goals. As part of that, we reviewed agency relationships over the last few months. Our team heard from the best of the best and saw incredible thinking to help fuel our next phase of growth,” T-Mobile CMO Matt Staneff said in a statement.

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MediaPost:
IPG's Initiative Wins $2 Billion T-Mobile Media Business

T-Mobile has awarded its estimated $2 billion U.S. media assignment to Interpublic Group’s Initiative, the telecom company confirmed today.

The award followed a review that began last September and included Sprint which T-Mobile acquired last April.

Incumbents included Publicis Groupe and WPP agencies as well as Horizon Media.

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