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For its third roster agency, MediaCom, the decision marks the end of a 20-year planning relationship and the loss of about £50m of business.

The planning account, one of the biggest in the UK, had been split equally between the three agencies.

ZenithOptimedia is thought to have increased its share of the business to about 60%.

Its recently announced focus on delivering measurable returns on clients' investment is said to have been a significant factor in P&G's decision to award it more work.

As part of the consolidation, many of P&G's biggest brands are to switch agency. ZenithOptimedia keeps Ariel and Head & Shoulders, wins Pantene, Bold, Lenor, Fairy Liquid and Flash from MediaCom and takes Daz and Fairy Non Bio from MediaVest. It loses Pampers, Oil of Olay and Sunny Delight to MediaVest.

MediaVest retains Max Factor, Bounty, Charmin, Always, Vicks and Fixodent and wins Hugo Boss, Pringles and most of the Clairol Herbal Essences work from MediaCom.

Media buying is not affected, with Starcom Motive handling TV and MediaCom buying press.

P&G is now ZenithOptimedia's biggest planning client and brings the agency's business wins this year to about £120m. P&G's associate director for UK media Bernard Balderston said it had been a tough decision and thanked MediaCom for its work over many years. "But the changes in the UK media marketplace have required us to streamline our business."

Although ZenithOptimedia was unable to confirm any deal, it is also thought to have won the £15m media planning and buying business for VisitBritain, the body formed from the merger of the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourism Council.