Burson-Marsteller has won its first retained account with Cadbury
Schweppes with a mission to promote its soft drinks brand Dr Pepper, as
the brand seeks to compete in the increasingly competitive fizzy drinks
market.
B-M won a three-way pitch for the consumer PR account, which is worth
over pounds 150,000 in fees. The other agencies competing for the
account were BFP Momentum and three-year incumbent Lyons Waddell.
B-M has been charged with targeting the youth market in a bid to
increase sales of Dr Pepper among younger audiences. Its work will
include promoting Dr Pepper in the teenage media and handling
sponsorship, promotions and events.
B-M’s consumer marketing practice managing director David Brain will
head the account, reporting to Dr Pepper marketing manager Peter
Coombe.
’Our brief is to help Cadbury Schweppes take Dr Pepper from being a
successful small brand to being a successful big brand.’ said Brain.
Dr Pepper is Cadbury Schweppes’ main beverage brand after the Schweppes
range , whose PR is handled by Hill and Knowlton.
The company reported an 84 per cent increase in the volume of sales of
Dr Pepper in the UK last year. As a whole, the company’s beverages
registered a profit of pounds 342 million in 1997 on sales of pounds
1,953 million.
