Premier Foods consolidates 15m media accounts

Premier Foods, the owner of Branston Pickle and Ambrosia, is conducting a review of its £15m media planning and buying account through Agency Insight.

The company is looking to consolidate its media into one agency following the acquisition of the Campbell Soup Company, which includes the Oxo brand, for £460m in July.

Currently ZenithOptimedia is the incumbent agency on the £7m Campbell’s buying business. Walker Media handles the media account for Quorn, which became part of Premier last year when its owner Marlow Foods was bought for £172m. Start-up agency EdwardsGroomSaunders also secured a place on the Premier Foods roster to handle its planning business earlier this year (MW June 8).

Last year Premier Foods appointed independent media planning agency Central Focus to work alongside ZenithOptimedia on Ambrosia, Branston Pickle, Loyd Grossman sauces and Typhoo Tea. Central Focus, run by Stephen Gregory, sub-contracted the planning business to EGS – the start-up launched by three former Starcom directors in March.

Roster and non-roster agencies are being approached to pitch for the business. The review does not affect Premier’s creative agencies.