Molson Coors Canada has shifted its Coors Light assignment to Rethink without a review, consolidating its so-called “power brands” (Molson Canadian, Coors Light and Rickards) with the agency.
Dave Bigioni, vice-president of marketing for Molson Coors Canada, told Marketing that Rethink has been a standout agency partner since it first began working with Molson Coors in 2011.
“They really understand the nuances of our business, our go-to-market model and our ways of working internally, and have done exceptional work for us,” he said, citing the agency’s “Beer fridge” work – a Best of Show winner at the 2014 Marketing Awards – as a prime example of its capabilities.
Rethink now becomes Molson Coors’ lead agency for strategy, creative development, digital and social, with input from both its Toronto and Vancouver offices varying by discipline and specific task.
In addition to Molson’s major beer brands, Rethink also handles the brewer’s Creemore Springs business. Bigioni refused to speculate on when Rethink’s first work for Coors Light would appear.
“It’s going to be when it’s ready,” he said. “We’re not at that stage just yet.”
Molson Coors’ new-look agency roster includes Cavalry on its Coors Banquet brand; Monk Williams on Mad Jack; Wasserman & Partners on Granville Island and One on the Heineken portfolio. Other agency partners include MEC on media, Harbinger for public relations and Behaviour for consumer connection/activation.
Bigioni suggested the brewer is “much more open” to the idea of consolidating its brand portfolio with one agency than it was five years ago, a reflection of the changing marketplace dynamic.
“Both the nature of the marketplace has changed, and the way that we look at our business from a portfolio lens versus an individual brand lens,” he said. “Managing how we keep brands separate and complementary under one consumer insight direction, one agency communication direction [and] one creative direction will bring greater synergy to the way we work.”
Molson Coors awarded the Coors Light assignment to Leo Burnett without an open review in July 2013, after its previous agency BBDO Canada was forced to resign the account when its American arm won a contract with Bud Light, a rival brand owned by Molson Coors competitor AB-InBev. Prior to that, the Coors Light account had been with FCB.
Earlier this year, Leo Burnett introduced a new campaign for the brand featuring a mountain man. The brewer is currently transitioning the business to Rethink, said Bigioni.
“Leo’s a world-class agency that does fantastic work across the Canadian marketplace,” said Bigioni. “This is no slight on them, it’s just an opportunity for us to consolidate and lean on Rethink and take our partnership with them to the next level.
Bigioni said Coors Light’s global positioning – embodied by the “Who wants a cold one?” and “Rocky mountain cold refreshment” tags – has helped it carve out a leadership position both in Canada (where it is the top-selling beer by volume) and globally. A June report from Bloomberg ranked Coors Light as the 10th best-selling beer by volume in 2013.
“The positioning is sound, we’re continuing to find fresh creative space within that positioning, and the task for Rethink is to modernize and re-imagine how Coors Light comes to market in a way that’s distinct and relevant for today’s drinker,” said Bigioni.
