FIVE AGENCIES BATTLE FOR DAIRY BUSINESS
By Adnews Staff
Five unnamed agencies are vying for the Parmalat Canada of Toronto business. A decision is expected by June. Parmalat Canada was formed last year after its parent company, Parmalat Finanziaria s.p.a. of Italy, bought Beatrice Foods and Ault Foods, both of Toronto. Until now, Parmalat has continued using the agencies that the two companies were had already hired. The Holmes Partnership of Toronto was handling advertising for Ault, while The Leo Burnett Co. of Toronto was creating ads for Beatrice. Parmalat divisional president Barb Miller told Adnews that the company stuck with the two agencies until Parmalat got settled in Canada. Now, it plans to use just one agency. Both agencies were invited to pitch the business, but they declined. Holmes decided not to enter the competition because it felt it wasn't big enough for Parmalat's requirements. The agency would have to make "radical" changes to Holmes to accommodate the business, which it didn't want to do, managing director Nick Matthews says in a release.