It is thought that CRC is looking to trim costs by consolidating buying and to sharpen its strategic edge with an increased emphasis on planning to fight back against the rise of discount stores and compete against rivals such as The Mall Group and Tesco-Lotus. Three agencies have pitched for the business: Initiative, which handles media duties for some CRC members, MEC and Starcom.
It is expected that agency involvement will most likely veer towards planning with CRC retaining its buying team. Local brand managers may also still have leeway to hire their own media partners.
Adspend monitors estimated CRC spent about 400 million baht (US$10 million) on print media this year.
Thai retail chain sparks review of $10m media task
Thailand's Central Retail Corporation (CRC), the umbrella brand covering large department stores such as Central and Robinson as well as speciality outlets such as Tops Marketplace and Powerbuy, has initiated a review of its media planning and buying arrangements currently shared by an in-house team, brokers and an agency.
