Frame to battle on despite Bulmers set back
Frame to battle on despite Bulmers set backLoss of cider brand Bulmer's will leave a hole at the agency says Frame boss O'Donnell
The business loss comes after a pitch and research process that concluded late in January, which saw Heineken opt to move its £5m advertising account for its Bulmers brand to St Luke's in London.
Ironically, Frame won the Bulmers creative business in a pitch against St Luke's in 2006, but lost out this time in a two horse race with the agency.
Speaking about the loss of the account O'Donnell said: "We got the unwelcome news last week that we had lost the pitch to what was essentially a better idea from St Luke's.
"It is with considerable regret that the business has now gone and it will affect us in some way and leaves a hole here. What other agency in Scotland or anywhere for that matter wouldn't want to work on a brand like Bulmers? To describe it as anything other than a big blow would be naive and we will do everything we possibly can to avoid making any job cuts as a result of this."
O'Donnell added: "We are proud of the work we presented but on the day we were beaten fair and square by a better idea. We wish the team at Heineken the very best and hope this campaign will be a huge success for them."
Speaking of the move Sanjay Patel, brands director - cider at Heineken UK, said: "Frame's work on the brand has made a significant contribution to the success of Bulmers since we re-launched the brand in 2007. We are delighted to be extending our relationship with St Luke's. They have a deep understanding of the cider category and demonstrated this in their pitch."
During its tenure Frame created some well regarded creative work for the brand, which included the 'swimming bottle' TV ad and the British Summertime' poster work.
Only recently Frame picked up new business from sandwich shop chain O'Briens, which went some way to replacing the income that was lost when the agency's former longstanding client Subway took its business south.
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Gary
Whilst it's really sad to hear you've lost such a high profile piece of business, it's very refreshing to read such an honest and blunt explanation as to why you lost it, with no attempt at smoke and mirrors. Well done for being so upfront and I hope you bounce back soon.
Totally agree Richard. Never nice to lose business, but refreshing to see an open and honest appraisal of the situation.Sometimes the other guys just have a better idea. All the best Gary and Frame, with that attitude I hope you bounce back very quickly.
Sorry to hear this. St. Lukes must have come up with something really good.
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Sorry to hear that. Hate hearing about business going out of Scotland.
I thought the work was really good.
Frame, there's always Magners!
I thought the last ad that St Lukes did for Strongbow was a very old and tired idea but S&N have really been great judges of creative have they
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We can safely say it was a better idea because the punters judged it to be. There is noother arbiter in this game.
We like the guys at Bulmers: we've had a blast working with Fiona, Sarah, Sanj, Doug, Bob and Tom. Thank you, guys, for the memories and the fun and the confidence to run some great work.
We helped play our part getting Bulmers to overtake Magners and become number one in off sales and on sales in the whole of the UK.
And now we're looking to do some astonishing work for the next ambitious brand to knock our door.
In the meantime, we'll be raising a glass of the golden stuff in the Brunswick tonight.
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Sad news, however fantastic to hear a no bullshit explanation for losing a pitch. Good luck with the next one!
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Keep yer pecker up Angus. Woodpecker perhaps. Good luck.
Shame to hear this, but at risk of being controversial, there are some clues in the various comments.
The agency talks about being beaten 'fair and square by a better idea'. The client talks about a 'deep understanding of the cider market'.
Angus talks about the punter being the arbiter. Bollocks I'm afraid. Punters should not be determining your future and 'choosing' the winning work.
There are at least four ways to keep business:
(1) know more about the brand and the sector than the client does;
(2) lock them in to a big successful campaignable idea they can't get out of;
(3) expand into innovative new services areas to multiply your points of contact with a client's business;
(4) deliver effectiveness that no-one can argue with.
Not many agencies get this - and that includes most of the London agencies.
The issue is that clients aren't paying enough to cover the level of service required to achieve all of the above. The Bulmers fee is circa £60k. That's a project.
Frame is a good agency with good people and it had a real buzz about it only a year ago. Good luck replacing this.
Angus, don't un-do all of Gary's good work
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Good luck to Frame - they always seem to handle themselves with dignity and oodles of integrity. Maybe too nice? Anon 16.38 got it spot on.
However, i just don't understand brands constantly heading to the Smoke - the chances of them getting a 'meerkat' (and making the marketing director famous) are pretty remote. Instead they generally get an expensive white elephant and end up putting the account up for pitch again in a couple of years. The marketing director dutifully moves on to another job and we've wasted millions of pounds. I talk to suppliers in London all the time and, to a man, they much prefer working with agencies outside the City. Good people, talented people. Maybe we're all just too nice?
"Sorry to hear that. Hate hearing about business going out of Scotland."
Yeah only for agencies you like though, eh taffy.
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