Heinz £8m ad review extended to include non-roster agencies

Heinz has extended the advertising review of its £8m UK business to non-roster agencies following the arrival of chief marketing officer Suzanne Douglas.

Heinz has extended the advertising review of its &£8m UK business to non-roster agencies following the arrival of chief marketing officer Suzanne Douglas.

Prior to Douglas arriving from Heinz Australia, the company was believed to be ready to consolidate its business into one of its roster agencies – WCRS, Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB) and Leo Burnett, which has been on the company’s roster since it won its first piece of Heinz business in 1998.

It is now understood that the review has been broadened, and that non-roster agencies will have the chance to pitch for the business.

Leo Burnett handles the Heinz Baked Beanz and tinned-food lines. WCRS works on advertising for the company’s soups and babyfood brands, while BMB holds the sauces and dressings accounts, having won the business from Leo Burnett earlier this year. BMB won a position on the Heinz roster after the client purchased HP Foods from Danone in June last year.

The decision to review the business will not affect the recent decision by Heinz to appoint Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest to the &£2m WeightWatchers food account (MW June 22), or the media account, which is handled by Vizeum.

The arrival of Douglas was one of several recent key management changes made by Heinz.

In May, it appointed former Procter & Gamble sales director David Woodward as president for the UK & Ireland to replace Jane Miller, who left after one year at the company.