More About Advertising The alternative voice of advertising, marketing and media
Asda, which seems to have taken more of a kicking in the supermarket price wars than its rivals, has replaced long-serving marketing boss Barry Williams with Andy Murray (not that one), who joins from owner Walmart.
Williams spent eight years with the retailer although he was only recently appointed chief customer officer, the top marketing post. Murray (left) was Walmart’s senior vice president of creative and customer experience.
Worryingly for current agency VCCP Murray was the founder of shopper marketing agency Saatchi & Saatchi X. Saatchi held the Asda account before it went to VCCP. Asda/Walmart has a habit of appointing agency execs, who often move the business. Publicis exec Rick Bendel moved to Walmart and, some time later, moved the account to Saatchi from…Publicis.
For all the expensive pitch processes clients undertake (and the costly intermediaries who accompany the process) accounts, especially in retail, still seem to move to auld acquaintances. Morrisons recently moved to Publicis, new CMO Mike Hoban’s agency at his former job Confused.com.
