NEWS: Mars invites bids to join sweets brand PR roster

Mars Confectionery is on the look-out for a third roster consumer PR

agency to help manage its brand portfolio.

The chocolate and sweet giant has invited PR companies to pitch for a

specific brief in order to make a selection.

At present consumer PR for Mars products is split between the Lowe Bell-

owned firm Green Moon and Key Communications.

Green Moon picked up an estimated pounds 150,000 budget contract to work

on Mars, Twix, Snickers, Bounty, Opal Fruit and Galaxy Dove ice cream in

February last year.

Key Communications has worked for Mars for over two years and now

handles both consumer and trade PR.

The company hired a third agency - GCI - in the last 12 months to manage

a football sponsorship tie-up with its Snickers bar but the contract

ended last summer.

Meanwhile, the Mars-owned company Master Foods has consolidated its

trade and consumer PR contract into Scope Communications.

The incumbents Cameron Choat and Partners and The Mistral Group will

hand over to Scope around the new year.

Scope already has the estimated pounds 100,000-fee consumer contract

for another Mars company Pedigree Petfoods.