The two unidentified networks will pitch against Initiative Media Worldwide and MindShare for the estimated $75m media-planning and buying business across Taiwan and Malaysia. The Taiwan business is estimated to be worth around $40m and the Malaysian around $35m.
Unilever's move to invite non-roster shops is in sharp contrast to that of its rival Procter & Gamble, which is known for its unswerving loyalty to its networks.
Unilever's policy is a legacy of the time when it still had a 1,600-strong product portfolio, now being culled to just 400 "power brands" by the company's chairman Niall Fitzgerald.
The Anglo-Dutch company, which is behind such brands as Dove and Cif, is looking to see if the non-roster shops can offer anything its roster agencies can not in terms of levels of service.
The bulk of the Unilever account in Europe is held by Initiative Media, with Carat working on media planning for Birds Eye Wall's. In the US, MindShare won the $700m Unilever media account last year.
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