Following a multi-agency pitch, Subway, sandwich quick service restaurant (QSR) has appointed Arms Communications and Alliance Advertising as its creative and media partners, respectively.
Sandeep Shah, member, national advertising board, Subway India, said, “The brief given to agencies was to increase brand sales by about 20 per cent. We aim to spend about Rs 3-4 crore for the year ahead, which will take into account national and regional marketing activities.”
The bundling of creative and media duties was a criterion in the pitching process. Madison Creative and Arms made it to the last round on the creative front; Madison Media and Alliance Advertising were pitching for the last round of the media business.
Though a creative agency is new in the roster, Alliance Advertising has been Subway’s media partner for almost five years. Though the brand has not been very active on the advertising front as compared to other QSR players, it has been active in print advertising through flyers and other print vehicles.
Subway flagged off its Indian operations beginning with Delhi. Today, it has approximately 145 stores across the country, with the largest markets being Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
As per the latest Ernst & Young report, the contribution of the organised market in the QSR space is less than 3 per cent of the entire Indian eating out market.
Though there is no competition for the brand Subway in the sandwich QSR space, the brand contends against fast food services such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Domino’s.