“McCann Erickson has a large agency footprint, but assembled a team that more closely resembles what you’d find at a smaller retail-focused agency,” said Joan Kavanaugh, Vice President of Corporate Purchasing. “We think we’re getting the best of both worlds.” — is this person in for a shocker? Thoughts?
Below is the unedited press release we were sent:
BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Feb. 4 — After a lengthy agency review process, ALDI, Inc. has selected McCann Erickson’s Midwest office in Birmingham, Mich., as its advertising agency of record in the U.S., with responsibility for all integrated marketing communications and advertising services. ALDI, based in Batavia, Ill., is a select assortment discount grocer that currently has close to 1,000 stores nationwide and plans to open approximately 75 additional stores in 2009. The other agencies involved in the review are not being revealed, nor are the billings.
“McCann Erickson has a large agency footprint, but assembled a team that more closely resembles what you’d find at a smaller retail-focused agency,” said Joan Kavanaugh, Vice President of Corporate Purchasing. “We think we’re getting the best of both worlds.”
“ALDI has a terrific story to tell. We are looking forward to helping them tell it, both from a strategic branding point of view and tactically in ways that drive in-store sales,” said Garry Neel, Chief Executive Officer of McCann’s Birmingham office. “They have a unique business model and a great product, and we’re excited about the opportunity to work with them to help them achieve their aggressive growth plans.”
ALDI and McCann share similar “think lean” operating principles, including a rigorous focus on harnessing new and emerging technologies to drive efficiencies and speed to market.
About ALDI Inc.
ALDI, a leader in the international grocery retailing industry, began in the United States in 1976. Today approximately 1,000 U.S. ALDI stores are located in 29 states primarily from Kansas to the East Coast serving more than 18 million customers each month. A select assortment discount grocer featuring its own ALDI select brands, ALDI applies smart and efficient operational and business practices to save customers up to 50 percent on their grocery bill. ALDI sells more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased grocery and household items in manageable, non-bulk packaging. For more information about ALDI, go to www.aldi.us.
About McCann …
McCann Erickson Worldwide is the world’s leading global advertising agency network, with operations in more than 130 countries and a client roster that includes preeminent global marketers and many of the world’s most famous brands. The client roster of McCann’s Midwest office includes GM, Saab, Delphi, Michigan Tourism, Nestle, Honeywell Consumer Products, Matrix, Northrop Grumman and Karmanos Cancer Center. The agency is a unit of McCann Worldgroup, one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world, which is part of the U.S.-based Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG).
Got enough room for our egos?
