Diana Marszalek 03 Oct 2022 // 10:22PM GMT
MIAMI — Fast-food giant Burger King, which has made advertising a centerpiece of its $400 million turnaround plan, is in the midst of reviewing its PR agency support as well, PRovoke Media has learned.
In its RFP, Burger King said it is looking for a new PR agency “at a critical time for the US brand as we undergo a major brand refresh in the coming months.” The company hired new media and creative agencies earlier this year.
The restaurant chain “is open to working with any US-based agency that can demonstrate industry-leading creativity, ideation and execution and has proven media connections and on the ground capabilities as needed in top media markets in the US,” the RFP said.
Burger King has worked with its incumbent agency since 2013, when it hired Alison Brod Marketing + Communications. The company, which is owned by Restaurant Brands International, spends between $1 million and $1.4 million a year on PR, according to the RFP.
The company has laid out a long list of agency requirements in six core areas — PR; strategic planning and counsel; knowledge and experience in the business and sector; coverage tracking and media monitoring; collaboration with in-house teams and other agencies; and agency culture.
The US PR agency review follows a string of changes in Burger King’s agency partnerships. In February, the fast-food chain awarded Splendid Communications its UK PR brief, which previously belonged to Frank. In April, RBI named Omnicom’s PHD Burger King US’s media agency of record and OKRP the brand’s creative AOR.
All of which comes as the chain rolls out a two-year, $400 million plan to reinvigorate its flagging US business. That plan includes Burger King increasing its two-year advertising spend by 30% to $120 million and putting another $200 million into renovating about 800 stores.
Burger King did not respond to request for comment.