After a multi-agency pitch called by Reckitt Benckiser a few months back, the company has decided to appoint MPG India as its media agency for Indian and South Asian markets. Earlier also, the account was handled by MPG. MPG India is the media arm of Havas Media.

Internationally, Havas Media and Publicis Group are the agencies handling the 17 brands owned by Reckitt Benckiser. The FMCG Company spends approx 12% of its revenue every year on media buying.

Confirming the news, Rakesh Kapoor, executive vice-president, category development, Reckitt Benckiser, said “Two global media partners will bring new consumer insights, better capabilities in technology and systems and superior skills in ensuring for better consumer engagement, strategies and executions.”

ZenithOptimedia, a fully owned media agency by Publicis Groupe has won Swarovski’s media rights for Asia-Pacific. The announcement comes from Swarovski, as part of its global alignment of creative and media agencies. The account was handed over to ZenithOptimedia without a pitch on the basis of their earlier relationships with the brand. Earlier Havas’ MPG was working on the account.

The agency will start working on the account from Jan 2010. Since 208, Swarovski has reduced the number its number of media agency partners worldwide in order to improve international coherence and media efficiency. The company has reduced the number of media agencies for the group from 14 to four in 2009.

“In order to continue the process of reducing the number of media agencies, we decided at the end of September to continue to work with only one partner – ZenithOptimedia,” Swarovski officials explained.