The Coca-Cola Company has wrapped a global review of its entire marketing operating system, and the result redraws the agency map. In Australia and New Zealand, WPP Media holds the account. Globally, WPP Open X stays Coca-Cola’s media partner everywhere except North America, Japan and South Korea. Omnicom picks up North America, and Dentsu continues in Japan and South Korea.
The new structure will be rolled out in phases starting 1 December. WPP also remains Coca-Cola’s global creative partner, and the Japan and South Korea media arrangements were not part of this review.
What the new map looks like
- WPP Open X: retains global media outside North America, Japan and South Korea, including Australia and New Zealand, and remains global creative partner.
- Omnicom: takes North America media and will work closely with WPP StudioX.
- Dentsu: continues on Japan and South Korea, outside the current review.
Why this matters for marketers
Coca-Cola framed this as more than an account decision. It was a review of the marketing operating system, built to support growth, consumer connection and next-generation capabilities powered by data, technology and AI. Since the creation of Open X in 2021, WPP has helped the brand modernise marketing across more than 200 countries and territories.
Manolo Arroyo, Coca-Cola’s EVP and Chief Marketing and Customer Commercial Officer, described WPP’s showing as a “stellar performance” and cited the Open Intelligence data solution’s results from the FIFA World Cup 2026 activation.
For agencies, the signal is clear: the pitch is no longer only about media buying. WPP retained the business by leading with creators, commerce and retail media, all wrapped into one connected WPP Open ecosystem.
What it means for ANZ
Australia and New Zealand keep the incumbent, which means continuity in the near term. But the global reset shows renewal is coming: even a successful incumbent had to prove results, not relationships. Omnicom’s North America appointment also shows how Coca-Cola is aligning specialised capabilities with market-specific opportunities.
What to do about it
Before your next review, audit whether your own pitch tells a connected growth story. Package data, technology, AI, creators and retail media as one system, and back it with a concrete local proof point. Brands should ask partners how global scale and local execution actually connect, because that combination is what Coca-Cola says it now has.
Source: Campaign Brief
