Yum! Restaurants, owners of the KFC and Pizza Hut brands in Australia, has consolidated its entire media planning, buying and strategy business with incumbent Carat, following an internal agency review.
The decision, which brings to a head a review stretching over six months, sees Carat become responsible for media planning, buying and strategy across the KFC and Pizza Hut brands. Carat had previously looked after the media planning and buying for both brands, but will now oversee strategy following BellamyHayden’s decision to part ways with KFC in June after 10 years.
It is understood that Yum! also invited a number of other media agencies to present during the review. The process was managed by consultants Kinesis.
The review is said to have been sparked by both the departure of BellamyHayden from the strategy business and the appointment of Paul Meischke, the former trading director of Carat, to oversee media strategy for KFC in July.
It seems Yum! is not planning to review its creative partners at this point. Ogilvy and Mather Sydney handles the creative for KFC, while M&C Saatchi looks after the Pizza Hut brand.
According to Nielsen, KFC spent an estimated $33.1m on main media in the year October 2008 to September 2009, down from $34.2m in previous 12-month period. While Pizza Hut spent an estimated $7.3m in the 12 months to September, up from $6.4m in the previous corresponding period.
