Direct News: Weetabix in promotion push

Weetabix is bolstering its promotional activity, with a rise in on-pack and customer relationship schemes.

The cereal company has hired Billington Cartmell to handle promotions for its entire brand portfolio, which includes Weetabix, Alpen, Weetos and Ready Brek.

The agency won the account after a competitive pitch. Weetabix's other roster agencies are unaffected by the appointment.

Weetabix has run a several on-pack promotions. In 2004 it ran a Weetabix Games campaign, around the Olympics in Athens, and in 2003 it attempted to drive Alpen customers online to win prizes in its 'Alpen House' promotion.

Since Weetabix was acquired by US venture capitalists Hicks Muse, Tate & Furst for £650m in 2004, it has undertaken a complete review of its agency roster.

In December 2004, the £15m advertising account moved from FCB to DDB London, which created the current Weetabix Scarecrow TV ads.

Last October, Weetabix shifted its media planning and buying into Walker Media from The Allmond Partnership without a pitch. It appointed Blue Marlin as its lead design agency after incumbent Jones Knowles Ritchie resigned the account.

Last year also saw a strategic shift as the company drew on its heritage to promote its entire portfolio of products together for the first time, in a series of TV and outdoor campaigns.

In 2002, the Weetabix brand overtook Kellogg's Corn Flakes as the UK's biggest cereal brand.

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