Published on: June 1, 2026
Samsung India has entrusted its consolidated media business to Cheil India after completing a competitive multi-agency review, according to industry sources. The development marks a notable restructuring of Samsung’s agency ecosystem and concludes Lodestar’s association with the brand after more than a decade.
Valued at approximately Rs 300 crore, the mandate encompasses media planning and buying duties across Samsung India’s extensive portfolio, including smartphones, consumer electronics, and home appliances. The account is regarded as one of the largest media mandates in the Indian advertising market.
Sources indicate that Publicis Groupe’s Starcom emerged as the other finalist in the review. The final phase of the pitch reportedly saw Cheil India and Starcom competing closely, leveraging their respective global relationships with Samsung and integrated media capabilities.
Earlier in the process, Samsung had invited WPP Media, Starcom, and independent agency Madison World to participate in the review. Agencies under Omnicom Media India, including incumbent Lodestar, were not involved in the pitch.
Industry insiders suggest the review was influenced by the ongoing global merger between Omnicom and IPG, which has raised potential conflict-of-interest concerns for several multinational brands. Given Apple’s association with agencies within the same broader network and its position as Samsung’s key global rival, the electronics major is believed to have reassessed its media partnerships in India.
The appointment significantly broadens Cheil India’s responsibilities for Samsung. While the agency previously managed the company’s retail, digital, and outdoor advertising activities, traditional media channels such as television, print, and radio were handled by Lodestar. The new arrangement brings all media responsibilities under a single agency partner.
For Cheil India, the win represents a significant milestone, as it secures Samsung’s full-spectrum media mandate in India for the first time. Industry observers believe the agency’s long-standing understanding of Samsung’s business and brand ecosystem contributed strongly to its success.
The decision also reflects a wider industry trend, with major advertisers increasingly streamlining agency partnerships to enhance operational efficiency, improve data integration, and deliver cohesive cross-platform campaigns. Consolidated mandates are helping brands make better use of first-party data while optimizing media investments across traditional and digital channels.
Samsung has continued to increase investments in digital marketing, e-commerce-driven initiatives, and retail activations as competition intensifies across India’s smartphone and consumer electronics sectors. At the same time, the company remains committed to broad-reach media while strengthening performance-focused and data-driven marketing efforts.
The mandate is expected to further strengthen Cheil India’s standing in the country’s competitive media agency landscape and highlights the growing importance of integrated global agency partnerships in managing large-scale, multi-channel marketing assignments for multinational brands.
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