Prêt à faire de la publicité: sandwich chain calls global creative review

Pret a Manger, the coffee and food chain, is seeking a creative agency to handle work covering Europe, Asia and the US.

The brand is considering shops focused on “digital creative expertise and end-to-end customer journeys”. There is no imcumbent because it is a new brief.

The process begins this month, with an appointment expected in May. It is led by chief customer and growth officer Dan Burdett, with help from AAR.

Burdett joined Pret in January and has previously held marketing roles at FMCG companies including L’Oréal, Mars and Unilever. He was most recently CMO at booking platform Tiqets. 

Tony Holdway was Pret’s chief customer and growth officer on an interim basis from May 2020 until this January. He succeeded Barnaby Dawe, who spent 15 months in the role until January 2020.

Pret has been concentrating on reaching a wider range of consumers. In the past year, the brand has launched an in-store coffee subscription service, partnered Amazon, Ocado and Waitrose on a retail offering, and signed delivery deals with Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats.

It is also trialling a Dinner by Pret proposition, as well as a click-and-collect service at some stores.

Burdett said: “Like a lot of businesses, we’ve got to rethink the way we reach and serve new customers – and that’s why we’ve launched this pitch process.

"Our new global creative partner will help us to change the way we communicate with customers, transforming us from a shops-first brand to one, which has a truly omnichannel approach, helping us to take Pret to more people in 2021 and beyond.”

In September, Pret appointed Goodstuff Communications to handle media planning and buying in the UK.

Pret employs about 9,000 people globally, including 6,500 in the UK, and operates 545 stores in 10 markets.