Ulta Beauty selects IPG’s Mediabrands as media AOR

Ulta Beauty has expanded its media remit with IPG. After working with Mediahub for seven years, the cosmetics retailer selected a bespoke team within IPG’s Mediabrands as its new media agency of record, tasked with handling a wider portion of Ulta’s business. Called Team Beauty, the team includes individuals across Mediabrands’ network, including Mediahub and Kinesso. 40 under 40 entries are open The final deadline for nominations is Aug. 2 Enter here Based out of New York, the Mediabrands unit will now handle Ulta’s media needs such as programmatic, addressable and social. It will also handle the marketer’s retail media business, UB Media, which was formerly powered by Publicis’ Epsilon. “The team showcased incredibly deep, insightful capabilities but beyond that, a true understanding of our business and the diverse community of guests we serve,” said Brandi Pitts, senior VP, brand marketing and media at Ulta, in a statement that also highlighted Team Beauty’s “creative, data-driven approach” as assets in driving engagement and fostering connections with Ulta customers. The appointment follows a review handled by Medialink that lasted under four months. Publicis also participated in the review, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation. An Epsilon spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment. As retail media has grown in popularity with both retailers and brands, many holding companies are developing tools to help. Nearly a year ago, Mediabrands debuted a product designed to help advertisers more easily and accurately navigate investments across retailer networks. Publicis has also rolled out its own offerings. Ulta launched UB Media two years ago and has been growing its offerings to include in-store media. The company is also growing its sales, though executives have warned of a slowdown in beauty buying. Ulta reported net sales of $2.7 billion, up 3.5% from a year earlier, for its most recent quarter. To continue to boost sales, Ulta is planning new partnerships with celebrity-led brands, increasing its creator network on social media, and improving its loyalty program, according to a recent report in CNBC. Ulta is also exploring gamification and enhanced delivery options with DoorDash. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

Ulta Beauty selects IPG’s Mediabrands as media AOR

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