Kroger Adds Fuel to Branding Push
The Kroger Co. has hired Dentsu Aegis Network as the food retailer’s “first integrated media agency of record after a competitive pitch process.”
Dentsu “will create a team to serve Kroger called fresh@dentsu, led out of full-service media and creative agency 360i, as well as with experts from Amplifi, M8, Merkle, MKTG and Posterscope,” Kroger said. “The fresh@dentsu team will be responsible for media planning and buying for Kroger and its family of brands across all media channels, including TV, radio, print, (out-of-home), search, social, display, online video and streaming audio. The fresh@dentsu team will also partner with Kroger to evaluate their sponsorships.”
The hiring of Dentsu comes as Kroger is the midst of a branding push.
"Last year, we launched our brand transformation campaign – Fresh for Everyone – bringing our brand strategy to life and celebrating our love of all customers and associates, food-first culture, and long history as America's favorite grocer," said Mandy Rassi, Kroger's VP of marketing. "Kroger's selection of an integrated media partner will continue to advance the campaign and uplift our brand, allowing us to connect with our customers in an even more compelling, modern way."
Kroger said that its new brand "is a unifying framework for its communications, evolving culture and seamless shopping experience, offering customers store, pickup, delivery and ship options."
The news follows Kroger’s announcement of a multiyear relationship with Vibenomics, a location-based audio out-of-home (OOH) advertising and experience company. Through this relationship, Vibenomics’ Audio OOH Advertising Marketplace will enhance the customer experience and how brands communicate with customers at the point of purchase in 2,300-plus Kroger stores, as well as automate the audio ad-buying process to current programmatic standards, enabling users to strategically target shoppers depending on weather, local events and other factors.
Cincinnati-based Kroger employs nearly half a million associates who serve 9 million-plus customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,757 retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The company is No. 3 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food retailers in the United States.
