Bob Evans Farms has hired Colle McVoy as its media agency of record.
The appointment covers the Bob Evans namesake brands, as well as Egg Beaters, Owens Sausage, and Simply Potatoes.
The manufacturer of quick-to-table, farm-inspired food said the competitive pitch process kicked off last July and was led by its internal marketing procurement team.
Venables Bell + Partners, Bob Evans Farms’ overall agency of record, won the account in July 2023.
Bob Evans’ restaurant and retail businesses were split in 2018, when Post Holdings acquired the latter. Jason Roche, vice president of Bob Evans Farms Portfolio, told ADWEEK the next move was to reorganize its marketing group to be more consumer-focused and elevate it to the levels of top-notch consumer packaged goods brands.
On the media front, Roche said the company was drawn to Colle McVoy by its “wonderful balance of data and media,” as well as its detailed measurement offerings that help it understand the impact of its spending.
“Fit is very important when we’re working with our agency partners,” he added.
With the move, Colle McVoy adds to its CPG client roster, which includes 3M Consumer Products, Crystal Farms, Frank’s RedHot, McCormick & Co., Perdue, and Swash Laundry Detergent. The full-service agency said it manages roughly $450 million in media spend across its clients.
An early priority in the new relationship will be driving household penetration for Bob Evans’ dinner sides, as well as refining its overall integrated media strategies for tentpole moments, such as holidays.
“From the jump, it was clear that Bob Evans Farms isn’t racing to the bottom of the funnel like so many marketers today,” Colle McVoy managing director of media and data science Steve Knapp told ADWEEK. “It wanted to use media, creative, and data to get a better understanding of current and prospective audiences, while not forgetting about the power of scale, reach, and creativity.”
Knapp added that Bob Evans Farms and Colle McVoy had chemistry from the get-go as well, saying, “There was a human connection from the very beginning between the two companies. At the end of the day, it’s about working with people who share your values, and who you get along with.”
Bob Evans Farms chief marketing officer Ciare James said in a statement that she is eager to integrate creative and media to introduce the Bob Evans brand to new households.
“Colle McVoy prioritized creativity over spreadsheets in their pitch, which is a refreshing approach to today’s standard media strategies,” she added. “There’s something about the agency’s midsized model that brings a depth of expertise far beyond what you’d expect with an upstart mentality for brave ideas that larger media entities shy away from.”