Kroger Selects Dentsu Aegis Network as its First Integrated Media Agency of Record

CINCINNATI and NEW YORK, July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America's largest grocery retailer, announced today that it has selected Dentsu Aegis Network as its first integrated media agency of record after a competitive pitch process.

Dentsu Aegis Network will create a team to serve Kroger called fresh@dentsu, led out of full-service media and creative agency 360i as well as with experts from Amplifi, M8, Merkle, MKTG and Posterscope. The fresh@dentsu team will be responsible for media planning and buying for Kroger and its family of brands across all media channels, including TV, radio, print, OOH, search, social, display, online video, and streaming audio. The fresh@dentsu team will also partner with Kroger to evaluate their sponsorships.

"Last year, we launched our brand transformation campaign – Fresh for Everyone – bringing our brand strategy to life and celebrating our love of all customers and associates, food-first culture and long history as America's favorite grocer," said Mandy Rassi, Kroger's vice president of marketing. "Kroger's selection of an integrated media partner will continue to advance the campaign and uplift our brand, allowing us to connect with our customers in an even more compelling, modern way."

Kroger's new brand is a unifying framework for its communications, evolving culture and seamless shopping experience, offering customers with store, pickup, delivery and ship options.

"The fresh@dentsu team stood out to us for their creative ability to think differently about our media planning and buying approach," stated Kay Vizon, Kroger's director of media. "We live in a hyperconnected world, requiring us to look at this part of our business more holistically – and with greater data – to accelerate growth and engagement. Dentsu's audience-first approach aligns perfectly with our principle of looking at the total customer to better understand their behaviors and motivators and what really resonates with them, providing us with a continuous competitive advantage."

"We're excited and honored to be partnering with Kroger, a brand that has a rich history and passion for serving its customers," said Doug Rozen, Chief Media Officer, 360i. "Kroger is transforming the shopping experience by leveraging unique insights and a renewed brand spirit. Powered by Dentsu's M1 platform, we look forward to helping Kroger deliver people-based media across all channels and connected to business outcomes that drive growth across its entire footprint."

About Kroger

At The Kroger Co., we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

About 360i

360i is an award-winning agency that helps brands capitalize on change. As a highly strategic media and creative partner with a deep understanding of how people discover brands and share stories, we don't just react to changes in the marketplace – we predict and define them. By bringing together some of the smartest, most curious people with expertise in media, data, creativity, strategy, search, and social, we help our clients achieve their objectives and drive their business forward. And our hustle doesn't go unnoticed. In 2019, we were selected for Ad Age's A-List – our ninth consecutive year in the coveted issue. We've also been named Adweek's Breakthrough Media Agency of the Year, recognized as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies and Campaign's Top 25 Most Influential Agencies, and ranked amongst the best Lead Agencies and Performance Agencies by Forrester Research. That's some range. We work with brands including HBO, DSW, McCormick, and Mondelez. To learn more, visit www.360i.com.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kroger-selects-dentsu-aegis-network-as-its-first-integrated-media-agency-of-record-301089794.html

SOURCE The Kroger Co.