Kraft Foods South Africa is part of leading international branded food and beverage company Kraft Foods Inc., which took over the global business of Cadbury in early 2010. Top brands in the Kraft stable include Cadbury Dairy Milk, Stimorol, Royal Baking Powder, Jacobs, Lunch Bar, Halls, Dentyne, Toblerone and Oreo.
Carat emerged successful in late December 2010, following an intensive pitch process involving three other leading media agencies. With Kraft Foods South Africa accounting for annual media billings in the order of R140 million, the account win represents the crowning achievement in an 18 month period of phenomenal success for Carat, which now manages annual media billings in excess of R2 billion.
Carat SA MD Quinton Jones described the win as an honour and ascribed the achievement to the depth of the agency's strategic insights, as well as the chemistry between the parties.
"We are extremely proud to have won the Kraft Foods business, which clearly demonstrates that Carat is now a serious contender for big business and best of the best brands.
"I believe we won the business primarily on the strength of our strategic revert. Understanding the consumer and having insight into their lives is absolutely critical in delivering a strategy that makes sense, resonates with client and moves the brand forward.
"In addition I think that chemistry played an enormous role in the final decision. In many ways Carat and Kraft Foods South Africa have both gone through significant change in recent times - both are young and hungry and embarking on a new business journey," he said.
Jones noted that, while all buying will be centralised through the Cape Town office, the strategic side of the business will be split between Carat Cape Town and Carat Johannesburg. The Johannesburg office, headed up by Erica Gunning, has achieved phenomenal growth since it was opened in August 2009, with 20 staff members and billings of R700 million.
"I have no doubt that Kraft will demand from us an improvement in the strategic thinking on their business, improved client service, better pricing and media innovation, as well as partnership in and ownership of their communication strategy. We look forward to meeting and exceeding our client's expectations," he concluded.
