Britvic to replace strategy group

Britvic Soft Drinks is about to appoint a consultancy to co-ordinate its youth media activities, after the end of its two-year relationship with Tribal DDB.

Tribal provided a strategic overview service for Britvic, liaising with the design and digital media specialists working on its soft drinks portfolio, such as Brandhouse WTS, Cocker Brand Design and AMX.

Category marketing director Andrew Marsden says the split came about because “it was not going as we would have liked. [Tribal] has done some great work for us, but it did not work out”.

Marsden says it was a good opportunity to review the position (with Britvic’s consultancies). “We have very close relationships with our agencies, but we also wanted someone between us and them to give a strategic overview. When we first started [with digital media] there were creative consultancies, but very few that had strategic or buying capabilities. That has now changed,” he says.

Tribal issued a statement last week saying that it would no longer be working with Britvic, describing the decision as “mutual and amicable”. In response to Marsden’s comments, a Tribal spokesman says he is bemused “given the real reason [for the change] is strategic differences rather than the fact that the relationship wasn’t working”.

Britvic has shortlisted three consultancies from which it is receiving pitches this week. Marsden declines to name them or detail the fees involved. He expects to make an appointment in three weeks’ time.