Carat on alert as at least five agencies scrap it out for $15m QBE media account
Major insurer QBE is pitching its $15m media account with at least five agencies thought to be on the shortlist, Mumbrella can reveal.
Incumbent Carat is expected to face-off against a shortlist thought to consist of independent media agencies Match Media and The Media Store, along with multinationals Havas Media and ZenithOptimedia.
Documentation for the media pitch was sent out earlier this week and is due back next week, meaning many of the agencies involved will be working over the Easter break on the pitch.
A spokeswoman for QBE this afternoon confirmed the media pitch. All agencies contacted declined to comment.
The insurer last year appointed Core as its creative agency after putting its account to pitch.
QBE is the largest Australian-based global insurer, providing services mainly to Australia, America, Europe and Asia Pacific region.
According to Nielsen in Australia the company has an estimated $11.8m main media spend over the last 12 months, although with the digital component the spend is likely to be closer to $15m.
Nic Christensen
