Bespoke Inspire Media Engine unit will lead national media planning and buying for the Inspire family of brands
ATLANTA (February 10, 2020) – Following a thorough strategic review, Inspire Brands today announced it has selected a newly-created unit within Publicis Groupe as its media agency of record.
Inspire Media Engine was created as a dedicated media strategy team specifically for the Inspire family of brands. The unit, led by Publicis Groupe agencies Zenith and Digitas, will support national media planning and buying for Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC Drive-In, as well as local media planning and buying for Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC. This does not include National Paid Search or Social for some brands as those functions are either managed in-house or maintained through an outside agency partner not impacted by the review.
Working closely with Inspire’s Commercial Services team, Inspire Media Engine will leverage its capabilities in digital-first, data-driven strategy and investment to drive consumer engagement and traffic across the more than 22,000 U.S. restaurants in the Inspire portfolio.
“While each of our brands has its own distinct positioning and identity, Inspire’s shared services approach to media enables us to leverage our collective resources to benefit the entire portfolio. Coupled with the investments Inspire is making in technology, digital, and data, our partnership with Publicis and Inspire Media Engine will drive significant competitive advantage for each of our brands,” said Navin Sharma, Chief Commercial Services Officer of Inspire.
“As we look to connect with guests in a dynamic media landscape, the bespoke Inspire Media Engine team brings deep expertise, key insights, and an innovative mindset to Inspire’s media planning and buying function,” said Brian Pruitt, vice president of media strategy and planning for Inspire. “Inspire is building a demand generation infrastructure that will allow us to reach new audiences and deliver guest personalization at scale.”
“As one of the leading restaurant companies in the United States, Inspire has the power to engage millions of Americans each and every day,” said Tim Jones, Chief Operating Officer, Publicis Groupe Marketing Services U.S. “We are proud to expand our partnership with this family of iconic brands to foster impactful one-to-one consumer engagement through transformative marketing solutions.”
Inspire initiated its media agency review, led by Jones Lundin Beals + Partners, in August 2020. The firm is the oldest and most experienced consultancy specializing in issues of agency search, compensation, and relationship management.
About Inspire Brands
Inspire Brands is a multi-brand restaurant company whose current portfolio includes nearly 32,000 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, Rusty Taco, and SONIC Drive-In locations worldwide. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit InspireBrands.com.
About Publicis Groupe
Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in communication. The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation. Publicis Groupe is a privileged partner in its clients’ transformation to enhance personalization at scale. The Groupe relies on ten expertise concentrated within four main activities: Communication, Media, Data and Technology. Through a unified and fluid organization, its clients have a facilitated access to all its expertise in every market. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs around 83,000 professionals.
Media Contact
Selden Hunnicutt
Corporate Communications
Inspire Brands
Press@InspireBrands.com