Schweppes Australia pitches creative, claiming retainer model is not producing results
Schweppes Australia is reviewing its creative agency arrangements, putting incumbent GPY&R Melbourne on alert, as the beverage company looks to appoint a mix of agencies to its roster in an effort to drive better results from its creative, Mumbrella can reveal.
Troy McKinna, Schweppes Australia’s general manager of marketing, confirmed the pitch telling Mumbrella the brand is re-evaluating not only the agencies it works with but how it works with them, saying its retainer model is not producing the right results.
The account includes such major brands as Schweppes, Cottee’s, Cool Ridge, Solo and Spring Valley and is one of GPY&R Melbourne’s largest clients.
“Schweppes Australia is embarking on an exciting journey to bring bigger creative ideas into our business and to that end we are currently reviewing who we work with and how we work with them,” McKinna said.
“It feels like the old retainer model is not producing the results we want so we are exploring a new approach to working with the best creative talent in Melbourne. We can’t afford to stand still and are looking for a more disruptive approach to building big creative ideas.
“We’re pretty clear what the problem is but we’re not sure on what the solution is yet, so we’re kicking off a number of conversations with a range of creative agencies to explore what’s the right approach for us to take.”
The brand has also worked with Naked Melbourne and BMF Melbourne however due to the the changes in the business, with BMF folded into Naked, and managing director Tom Ward departing for rival Cummins & Partners, it is not involved in the review process.
“We’re also taking the chance to have a good hard look at ourselves and our role within the process of getting the best creative results and have just kicked off embedding an internal capability program to support the process,” added McKinna.
The pitch does not include media, with Carat continuing to handle media requirements. It also does not encompass bel0w-the-line agencies.
BMF Melbourne were behind the relaunch of Cool Ridge, while GPY&R Melbourne were responsible for Schweppes’ stunt which saw a pub switch off its beer taps meaning customers had to switch to cocktails.
Miranda Ward
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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When you are working with some of the best creative agencies in a market, who have an intimate knowledge of your business and brand owing to a long-term retainer model, I’d suggest the problem may be a bit closer to home than your chosen remuneration model.
Nothing says “we don’t have a clue as to what we are doing so let’s pitch every campaign to as many agencies as we can” like a project based structure. Especially on an FMCG giant.
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Couldn’t have put it better myself, KGB.
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Maybe the retainer’s too light and consequently that’s why you feel you’re not getting the service you want? Just a thought.
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And after they appoint a new agency and that doesn’t work there is a change in the marketing department and they look for a new agency and then when sales keep going down they have a change in the marketing department. And someone on the board realises they have made a series of blunders. Worse still someone has run off with their market share. Oh, and lots of people have lost jobs too.
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For what it’s worth, I think the Schweppes master brand work has been strong in recent years. But guess it’s no fun having to pay for it.
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agree with Jet.
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The greatest strength that Schweppes has is in itself, in its history, and within its name, which is a form of onomatopoeia.
The proposal as outlined, to supposedly find a new way, has been tried before with devastating results. I say “look back and step forward” Repaint and launder, but illuminate the old gold rather than attempting to refocus and rebuild.
Then again, I am old, so what else would I say? Well, that’s one way of looking at it.
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Why would anyone put time and resource into pitching for a non-retainer account? Pitching is a gamble at the best of times. If project-based stuff is the ‘cherry’ at the end, it’s foolish to venture down that path.
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The Schweppes brand TVC with the bursting balloons is one of my absolute favourites
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