Samsung India has awarded its consolidated media mandate to Cheil India following a closely watched multi-agency review, marking a significant structural shift that ends IPG-owned Lodestar’s decade-long association with the Korean electronics giant.

The mandate, estimated at approximately Rs 300 crore, encompasses media planning and buying responsibilities across Samsung’s entire product portfolio, including smartphones, consumer electronics, and appliances – making it one of the largest media accounts in the Indian advertising industry.

The final round of the review came down to a contest between Cheil India and Publicis Groupe’s Starcom, both of which leveraged their respective global Samsung relationships and integrated media capabilities during the pitch. Samsung had originally invited WPP Media, Starcom, and independent agency Madison World to participate, while Omnicom Media India agencies, including incumbent Lodestar, were notably excluded from the process.

Industry executives attributed the exclusion of Lodestar to the ongoing global consolidation between Omnicom and IPG, which has raised potential conflict-of-interest concerns for several multinational advertisers, given that Apple – Samsung’s primary global competitor – is aligned with agencies within the same network.

The win substantially expands Cheil India’s remit. While the agency previously handled retail, outdoor, and digital responsibilities for Samsung, traditional media duties spanning television, print, and radio had remained with Lodestar. The new structure consolidates all media responsibilities under a single agency framework.

The development reflects a broader industry trend of large marketers unifying fragmented agency structures to improve efficiency, data integration, and seamless cross-platform execution – a priority that is increasingly shaping media agency consolidation across India.