May 2009
French supermarket giant, Carrefour, in Brazil, has chosen F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, under the management of Fabio Fernandes, to handle its advertising account. The win, which comes as part of the global alignment into Publicis Groupe announced earlier in January, includes communications for Carrefour’s superstores, supermarkets, convenience stores and services business units, and will commence July 1.
According to Rodrigo Lacerda, Carrefour's Corporate Marketing Director, there were several reasons leading up to the selection of F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi and they include the similarity with the work that has been developed by Almap/BBDO, which will provide a cultural continuity; the agency's history and portfolio, which contain cases related to building and positioning strong brands; and its talent in differentiating brands within very competitive market segments, such as banks and beers.
Also, another decisive factor was the agency's creative focus, which keeps it in the top rankings for the industry and, given the international alignment perspective, its experience as a creative center supplying other countries.
The partner network that works with Carrefour regionally in Brazil should remain intact – these are thirteen interconnected agencies that serve close to thirty different Brazilian regions.
Regarding the positioning of the Carrefour brand in Brazil, Lacerda adds that the whole retail sector must live through this difficult moment, which will require creativity and reinvention from the large chains. Therefore, a new global platform is being discussed in the company by a multi-disciplinary group that includes representatives from Europe, Asia and Latin America, including Brazil.
Directives from headquarters will be adopted based on this group's work, seeking a qualitative jump that promotes differentiation through innovative attributes, cutting edge actions and brand strength, while taking into account aspects of the work being developed in each country to strengthen the Carrefour brand.
“For four years Carrefour has been top of mind, among the most recalled brands in the country. It has also stood out as one of the companies with the best remembered advertising. For that reason it is important that the local characteristics be respected. However, we don't just want to be the market share leader–we want intellectual leadership, to ensure sustainable growth,” said Lacerda.
Celebrating winning the account, Fernandes says, “Carrefour is revolutionizing retail management, and we humbly expect to help them revolutionize the communication in this industry.”
"For me and for F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, earning Carrefour's trust is a reason for pride and is very stimulating. Any agency in the world would give its entire existence to work with this brand. As we will give ours."
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