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The move, which removed Universal McCann from the global roster, allows Nestle to appoint either one or both of the agencies in each of its domestic markets. It is meeting with both MindShare and ZenithOptimedia in the UK this week to thrash out the precise details of what to do.

Up for grabs is Universal McCann's £22 million share of the account, comprising the £17 million Cereal Partners brief and the £5 million chilled and dairy foods business, as well as the £7 million Nestle Purina petcare business, which was held by OMD. OMD was eliminated in the early stages of the review.

Given that a centralisation into one agency is fraught with conflicts, the Nestle business is most likely to be split between MindShare, which holds the confectionery and coffee business, including the Nescafe and Yorkie brands, and ZenithOptimedia, which handles the waters account.

ZenithOptimedia is tipped to win the Cereal Partners brief, which includes Shredded Wheat and Shreddies, because MindShare already handles media for Kellogg, while MindShare is likely to win the chilled and dairy food business because ZenithOptimedia already looks after Masterfoods and Muller.

WPP pitched under the Group M umbrella on a global basis using its MindShare and Mediaedge:cia brands. MEC was selected to lead the pitch in those markets where it is stronger than its sibling - for example, in Spain and Germany - and the review is the first example of this being a successful tactic.

The review, which began in March this year, does not affect Nestle's creative roster, which includes Ogilvy & Mather, J. Walter Thompson, McCann Erickson, Lowe and Dentsu.