Boots is beefing up its inhouse marketing capabilities by signing a deal with agency Oliver to set up a new 50-staff operation, which will focus on in-store marketing.
The high street chemist and beauty retailer launched its own agency – Boots Media Group – in September 2021; it taps into the retailer’s Advantage Card loyalty club data to deliver personalised campaigns for brand owners. Boots also has an internal studio, B-Hive.
In addition, the business works with WPP’s global agency, The Pharm, which comprises VMLY&R, Ogilvy, Hogarth, and Mediacom, which has a brief to implement an integrated mass-personalisation marketing strategy.
WPP has handled the account since 2017 and retained the business in 2020. It also scooped the Advantage Card brief out of Lida (now M&C Saatchi), after nearly a decade; the loyalty scheme has been pursuing a digital-first strategy since 2019, close to Boots’ headquarters in Nottingham.
Oliver was selected following a competitive pitch between agencies with similar capabilities, conducted by Boots chief marketing officer Pete Markey.
Oliver chief executive Sharon Whale said: “What Pete and the team wanted was a partner that they could go through a longer-term transformation process with – in terms of what technology to use and what kind of automation to put across the business, so that Pete can free up his experts so they can focus on driving the business forward with less admin.”
While Oliver will focus on in-store marketing, Markey said it will also work on other key projects, and is currently working with The Pharm on bringing Boots’ Christmas campaign “Joy for all” to life in-store.
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