Published on: June 29, 2026
Samsung India has restructured its media operations by bringing Havas India on board to manage its above-the-line (ATL) media planning and buying through Cheil India, following the electronics giant’s decision to consolidate its media responsibilities under a single lead agency.
The new arrangement comes after Samsung India awarded its consolidated media mandate to Cheil India following a multi-agency review. Industry estimates value the traditional media business at around ₹300 crore, while the broader integrated mandate, including digital responsibilities, is estimated at nearly ₹700 crore, making it one of the country’s largest media accounts.
Under the revised structure, Cheil India will continue to serve as Samsung India’s agency of record, overseeing the overall account, while Havas Media India will manage ATL media planning and buying across television, print, and radio.
This partnership allows Cheil to maintain strategic leadership of the business while leveraging Havas Media India’s expertise and scale in traditional media execution.
“The business has been structured in a way where Havas will manage the ATL responsibilities via Cheil. Cheil continues to lead the overall mandate, but Havas will be responsible for execution of the traditional media business.”
The collaboration reflects an increasingly popular model within the advertising industry, where lead agencies work alongside specialist media partners to manage large-scale integrated accounts without significantly expanding internal resources.
Samsung’s latest move also marks a significant shift in its media strategy. For more than a decade, IPG’s Lodestar UM managed the company’s traditional media buying, while Cheil was responsible for digital campaigns, outdoor advertising, and retail activations. The latest consolidation brings these responsibilities together under a single lead agency to create a more integrated media ecosystem.
The new structure is expected to improve coordination across Samsung India’s diverse portfolio, which includes smartphones, televisions, home appliances, and other consumer electronics, while enabling more consistent audience planning, measurement, and cross-platform media execution.
Cheil India secured the account after a competitive review involving several leading agency groups, with Publicis Groupe’s Starcom reportedly reaching the final stage of the pitch.
The addition of Havas Media India is expected to strengthen Cheil’s capabilities in television negotiations, print buying, and radio planning, while providing Samsung with a more streamlined and integrated media management framework.
