Superdrug kicks off 2.6m media review

Superdrug is reviewing its £2.6m media planning and buying account, currently held by Zenith Optimedia.

The review is in its early stages and the retailer is poised to starting contacting agencies. The incumbent has been invited to repitch.

A Superdrug spokeswoman says: “We can confirm that the media buying account for Superdrug is currently being reviewed. Superdrug has been working with Zenith Optimedia for seven years; after working with any one agency for this amount of time the decision to put the account out to pitch is business as usual and Zenith will be part of the pitch.”

The pitch will be overseen by Superdrug marketing director Gerry Murphy, who joined the company in 2004 from Matalan (MW January 13 2005).

Superdrug has not had a creative agency of record since 2005, when it parted company with Euro RSCG London after only seven months after pulling the plug on a planned £10m above-the-line campaign (MW December 1, 2005). Since then, it has commissioned its creative work on a project basis. The spokeswoman says there are no plans currently to change that situation.

Superdrug is owned by retail group AS Watson, which is a subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa, which also owns mobile phone network operator 3.