Big four grocer Tesco has today appointed EssenceMediacom as its retained media agency after a three-month competitive pitch process.
The process had come down to final pairing pitching WPP’s EssenceMediacom and Publicis’ Zenith. Mediacom had held the business since 2015 when it fought off the incumbent, IPG-owned Initiative.
Securing the Tesco account will prove a welcome fillip for WPP’s recently formed EssenceMediacom proposition, with Mediacom UK’s CEO, Kate Rowlinson saying: “Tesco brings out the very best in us, our people, and our agency and the results we have achieved together over the last seven years are testament to that.
“This pitch process has allowed us to showcase the new thinking, talent, and capability coming from the creation of EssenceMediacom – a new breed of agency – and how we can utilise this to create growth, innovation, and transformation for our clients.
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She continued: “Tesco is a formidable organisation, with a serious focus on excellent marketing. We are so proud to be continuing our work together.”
Having retained the business, EssenceMediacom’s remit will include Tesco’s media planning and buying across its mobile, bank, and retail propositions in the UK, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland and Slovakia.
Tesco chief customer officer, Alessandra Bellini added: “We know that these are challenging times for customers everywhere and we believe that impactful and relevant communication combined with constantly exploring trends and technologies is very important to help us reach our customers across all parts of the Tesco group.
“This collaboration with Essence and Mediacom will help us be better prepared for the current and future opportunities.”
