Boots seeks agency for loyalty card work

LONDON - Boots has kicked off a search for a marketing agency to bolster the CRM activity for its Advantage Card.

Boots has drawn up a shortlist of agencies to pitch for the CRM work. Incumbent agency Craik Jones will not repitch for the business. However, the Abbott Mead Vickers Group will be represented in the pitch by sister agency, Proximity London.

The retailer's Health & Beauty magazine and editorial content for Health and Parenting Club schemes, handled by Redwood, will not be affected.

The review follows several changes at Boots over the past month. In July, it called a review of its £45m media account, held by Media-Com, which is repitching for the business. A result is expected shortly.

The company also unveiled a fresh commercial structure, which divides its marketing team into three groups. It has created directorships for loyalty, CRM, customer communications and in-store marketing.

The Advantage Card scheme, which was launched in 1999, awards card-holders four points for every £1 spent and has more than 15m active members. Last year Boots revamped its Advantage Card kiosks in 485 of its outlets for the first time since their launch.

The overhauled kiosks are able to provide Boots Advantage Card members with personalised offers based on their shopping habits. The retailer hired marketing agency Odd to handle the brand identity and point-of-sale activity for the revamp.