The appointment, understood to be worth in excess of A$100 million (US$65 million), displaces domestic agency The Solomon Partnership, which has worked alongside the retailer’s large internal advertising department for a number of years. Other agencies to have competed for the business include George Patterson Y&R, Badjar Ogilvy and JWT.
A source close to the review indicated that Coles was seeking to rejuvenate its branding strategy to compete more effectively with its closest rival Woolworths, which had taken aggressive steps to strengthen its marketing output in recent years.
The account reportedly comprises through-the-line disciplines, but will place emphasis on digital marketing.
“Coles have not mobilised a turnaround, and they are losing consumer share and the positioning of their brand,” the source said.
The source added that the firm had “been taken to task by the markets”, and having borrowed large sums of money following its A$22 billion acquisition by Australian energy and retail conglomerate Wesfarmers last November, urgently needed to generate a recovery.
In addition to the overarching brand, Coles Group includes Kmart, Target and Liquorland. Although the company has reportedly renewed its contract with media agency incumbent Universal McCann, its individual brands have been granted license to review media account partnerships.
Tony Phillips, Coles Group’s head of marketing, could not be reached, while representatives from DDB were unable to comment on the developments.
A source close to the review indicated that Coles was seeking to rejuvenate its branding strategy to compete more effectively with its closest rival Woolworths, which had taken aggressive steps to strengthen its marketing output in recent years.
The account reportedly comprises through-the-line disciplines, but will place emphasis on digital marketing.
“Coles have not mobilised a turnaround, and they are losing consumer share and the positioning of their brand,” the source said.
The source added that the firm had “been taken to task by the markets”, and having borrowed large sums of money following its A$22 billion acquisition by Australian energy and retail conglomerate Wesfarmers last November, urgently needed to generate a recovery.
In addition to the overarching brand, Coles Group includes Kmart, Target and Liquorland. Although the company has reportedly renewed its contract with media agency incumbent Universal McCann, its individual brands have been granted license to review media account partnerships.
Tony Phillips, Coles Group’s head of marketing, could not be reached, while representatives from DDB were unable to comment on the developments.
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