McCann scoops £5m Co-op brief

McCann Erickson has won the pitch to advertise the Co-operative Group’s membership programme, which is in the process of being relaunched.

The brief is thought to be worth between &£5m and &£10m. The review, handled through the Haystack Group, was overseen at the Co-op by marketing consultant Jan Smith.

Farm, St Luke’s, Rapier and WCRS are understood to have been among the agencies that pitched for this part of the business.

QBO Bell Pottinger has also been appointed to handle public relations; North will be responsible for identity; and Start and Liquid will lead customer segmentation and direct marketing.

Smith, a former Mazda marketing director, joined the Co-op earlier this year to oversee the membership project (MW July 15). The Co-op is planning to bring back its “divi” – a dividend paid out to members depending on how much they spend with the organisation – in a bid to compete with other retailers. It plans to charge customers &£1 to become members of the Co-op. The scheme is likely to operate across all of the Co-op’s consumer-facing businesses including travel, retail, financial services, pharmacy and funerals.

Separately, the Co-operative movement is also looking for an agency to develop a branding strategy across all the consumer businesses of its society members, of which the Co-operative is only one (MW last week). However, there is some speculation that the two initiatives may be rolled in to one at some stage.