Office Depot’s creative and media review comes amid store closings at the retailer, which merged with OfficeMax late last year.
The decision to close 400 stores by the end of 2016 stemmed from location overlap between the two brands. Today, the company also hired a North American president: Mark Cosby, former president of CVS’ pharmacy business. Now, the combined company, which operates under the banner of Office Depot, is rethinking its marketing strategy.
Collectively, the two brands spent $105 million in media last year, with the bulk of those dollars—$70 million—going to Office Depot, according to Kantar Media. Pile + Co. in Boston is managing the review.
The incumbent on Office Depot is Zimmerman Advertising, which handles both creative and media responsibilities. Before the merger, OfficeMax employed creative agencies on a project basis; the brand's last media agency could not be ascertained. Zimmerman is expected to participate in the review.
Office Depot confirmed the review but declined to discuss the process. The search is expected to conclude in the fall.