Retail giant Target is on the hunt for a new marketing boss as uncertainty about the brand’s advertising agency arrangements pervade.
Target confirmed to AdNews that general manager marketing and board director Murray Chenery has left the company. National marketing manager Rennie Freer, who previously worked at The Campaign Palace, is acting as general manager marketing while the company searches for Chenery’s replacement.
Chenery is a 20-plus year veteran of the company, initially joining in 1989 as a product manager. Working his way through the ranks, Chenery was elevated to the top marketing role in 2001.
The changes in the marketing team come amid ambiguity about the brand’s advertising arrangements. Last month, Target split with The Campaign Palace after a 27-year partnership, three months after adding Big Red to its roster.
A Target spokesperson said the brand was currently undertaking a closed agency review. “We will be inviting a number of agencies to look at different areas of our business and we will make an announcement regarding agency appointment plans at the end of this process,” she said.
However, rumours are swirling in Melbourne that Big Red is well positioned to increase its share of the brand’s creative duties. Last month, Target denied Big Red had taken the whole account.
One source told AdNews he was aware of an internal memo circulating throughout Target’s marketing department which said Big Red was handling all of the brand’s advertising until a pitch is called, and implied the review would not be held until later in the year.
Regarding Target’s current relationship with Big Red, the spokesperson said: “We are always utilising the skills of different partners for different areas of the business and Big Red are one of the many suppliers we use in marketing.”
The retail sector has taken a hit as consumer confidence declines due to economic uncertainty, while retailers have increasingly resorted to price-based advertising campaigns to lure reluctant shoppers. Big Red, which also works on fellow Wesfarmers brand Coles, has created price-focused advertising campaigns for Target since December.
Target’s main competitors, Kmart and Big W, both rely heavily on price advertising in their campaigns. Both Big W and Kmart have upended their agency arrangements in the past year. Kmart ended its relationship with six-year incumbent SapientNitro and shifted its business to BWM Melbourne, while Big W parted ways with IdeaWorks and appointed Saatchi & Saatchi.
This article first appeared in the 5 April 2012 edition of
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