Merle blossoms with Dobbies garden account
Garden centre chain Dobbies has appointed Glasgow-based ad agency Merle to its advertising account following a four-way pitch.
Merle will officially take over the account, currently one of the most sought after in the country, on 1 November, but the agency has already begun working on a new television campaign to break next spring. The agency will be responsible for promoting Dobbies both above- and below-the-line.
Deborah Robertson, recently appointed marketing director at Dobbies, said: “Merle provided the balance we were looking for - a brands track record, sound strategy, strong creative, and a highly developed service ethic. We have ambitious targets and we feel comfortable that merle will help us achieve those.”
John Morgan, managing director of merle, said: “Dobbies is a quality product which is well known in Scotland but fairly new to England. Our job is to help confirm the company as a market leader and to increase awareness and footfall. With seventeen locations throughout the UK, that will mean a combination of brand positioning and tactical work at local level.”
Dobbies currently has 17 centres throughout the UK, with a new Garden World opening in Stirling next year and further nationwide expansion expected in the coming years.
Neither client or agency would comment on how much the account was worth.