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FMCG major Procter & Gamble is seemingly on its last legs of appointing Starcom, the media agency from Publicis Groupe, to handle its e-commerce media mandate across all its brands, according to sources who spoke with exchange4media. While the appointment appears imminent, the sources also noted that the deal has not yet been officially closed.
The mandate includes planning, buying, and execution responsibilities across digital commerce platforms.
This development marks a further deepening of P&G’s relationship with Starcom. The agency has earlier won P&G’s digital media mandate worth over Rs 100 crore following a multi-agency pitch. The win included digital planning and buying for brands such as Gillette, Old Spice, Pampers, Olay, and P&G Shiksha, along with search duties for Oral B, Vicks, Ariel, and Head & Shoulders.
Globally, P&G operates with multiple agency partners, which vary from market to market. In some regions, the company has also transitioned parts of its media operations in-house. However, Starcom and GroupM remain key players in the mix, highlighting the hybrid and flexible nature of the FMCG major’s media strategy.
This move reflects the FMCG giant’s increasing push to diversify its specialist media partners for focused verticals like digital and e-commerce.
In a recent blog post, P&G outlined how it is evolving to meet changing consumer expectations.
“Traditional television is facing increased competition as consumers seek experiences on digital and social channels. Shoppers are turning to e-commerce for more convenient and seamless experiences. And that has brands engaging with consumers in new and innovative ways. P&G is leveraging data, analytics, and technology to better understand consumer media habits, shoppers’ journeys and product usage experiences. With this, P&G can raise the bar on more superior brand communication with channels and messages that are ever-relevant to consumers and impactful for business growth. That framework is known inside P&G as REE — Reach, Effectiveness and Efficiency,” the blog said.
Beyond this data-first, omnichannel approach, P&G is also widely recognised for its impactful, insight-driven creative campaigns—both in India and globally.
For instance, the ongoing P&G Shiksha #StandUpForLearningGap campaign, launched in May 2024, features comedian Rahul Dua and uses humour to raise awareness about learning gaps among children in India.
Another noteworthy initiative is Whisper’s #KeepGirlsInSchool – The Missing Chapter, which continues to advocate for the inclusion of period education in the mandatory school curriculum, aiming to reduce the number of girls dropping out due to menstruation-related challenges.
Campaigns like Olay’s #STEMTheGap and Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad further demonstrate P&G’s consistent focus on socially relevant storytelling backed by strong brand purpose.
On the financial front, on January 22, Procter & Gamble Company reported its second quarter fiscal year 2025 net sales of $21.9 billion, an increase of 2 per cent versus the prior year.
Organic sales, which excludes the impacts of foreign exchange and acquisitions and divestitures, increased 3 per cent as compared to the previous year. Operating cash flow was $4.8 billion, and net earnings were $4.7 billion for the quarter.
P&G is scheduled to announce its Q3 earnings on April 24.
e4m reached out to P&G and Starcom but did not receive comments till the time of publishing this story.
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