Fiat Chrysler moves media business to Publicis Groupe’s Starcom

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has selected Publicis Groupe’s Starcom to lead its U.S. media business, following a six-month review. The account includes media buying and planning for all of Fiat Chrysler’s brands, including Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge and Ram. The IPG network has handled the company’s U.S. media buying and planning since December 2009, when it won the account from Omnicom’s PHD. Fiat Chrysler suggested that the review was part of “the ordinary course of business,” instead of a specific attempt to cut costs. Fiat Chrysler spent $970 million on paid media in the U.S. last year and $444 million in the first half of 2018, per Kantar Media data cited by AdWeek. The numbers include all brands, but not dealer totals.