IBM Opens Global Review of Its $330 Million Media Account

IBM has begun a review of its global media mandate, a business estimated to be worth nearly $330 million annually, making it one of the biggest technology-sector pitches to surface this year. The move comes as the company reassesses its worldwide marketing and communications setup and looks to realign how media planning and buying are handled across markets. Current media partner WPP Media has opted not to defend the account, effectively ending its multi-year role managing IBM’s global media duties. However, this change does not affect IBM’s creative business, which will continue to be handled by Ogilvy one of the longest-running agency-client relationships in the global tech industry. The creative partnership, which dates back almost three decades to the early 1990s, remains firmly in place despite the media shift.

Ogilvy has played a major role in shaping IBM’s brand across multiple transformations from its early hardware-focused positioning to consultancy services, cloud computing, AI, and hybrid enterprise solutions. Over the years, the agency has helped reframe IBM’s master brand several times and translate complex technology narratives into globally consistent messaging. Even with the media work now up for review, reports confirm that IBM has renewed its commitment to keep Ogilvy as its creative partner.WPP, in a statement cited by Ad Age, said it “values its long-standing partnership with IBM” but made a strategic decision not to re-enter the competitive media pitch. Industry tracker COMvergence estimates IBM’s global media spend at around $330 million, giving a sense of the scale of the business now in play.

The decision comes during a period when IBM is restructuring elements of its marketing organisation and intensifying its focus on data-led enterprise marketing platforms. Notably, IBM and WPP launched an AI-powered B2B marketing suite last year, integrating IBM’s watsonx platform with WPP Open for B2B a collaboration that will continue independently of the current media review, alongside Ogilvy’s creative remit.Industry observers suggest WPP’s choice not to fight for the account reflects a larger trend among major holding companies: growing caution when it comes to defending high-volume global media retainers that demand heavy operational investment while often delivering relatively thin margins.IBM is handling the review internally without the involvement of an external pitch consultancy, according to reports. Details regarding the shortlist of participating agencies and the full pitch timeline are expected to emerge in the coming weeks.