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EXCLUSIVE: VP-media weighs options
IN WHAT COULD SIGNAL A broadening of the revolt begun last year after Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola Co. pulled out of the TV upfront, another package-goods giant with a half-billion-dollar-plus budget is re-evaluating its position. This time it's Unilever's turn to startle the TV sales chiefs.
"We're discussing our upfront strategy," said Laura Klauberg, VP-media, Unilever Americas. "We're weighing all our options in the upfront. The process has existed forever and may have been very appropriate for business as it was conducted 10 years ago. Clearly, the market has changed a lot." Like the others before it, Unilever is citing as reasons for considering a scale-back the difficulty of making upfront buys well in advance of its calendar fiscal year and the fact that its marketing approach has become less TV-centric.
In recent years, Unilever's media deals have become more complex, including branded content, original content and other types of integration with other media, she said. "There is a lot...