Mazda to Refresh Marketing Communication in the US

After an extensive agency review, the North American division of Mazda announced today it has entered contract negotiations with WPP Group plc to become its full-service marketing communications partner. However, this doesn’t mean that Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) was not pleased with the services provided by its former agency, Doner.

"We were privileged to have had an opportunity to have in-depth discussions with, and presentations from, some of the world's finest marketing communications agencies, including Doner, our marketing partner since 1997," said Don Romano, MNAO's Chief Marketing Officer.

"We have had a very successful relationship with Doner," added Romano. "In fact, Doner helped create our global Zoom-Zoom brand positioning a decade ago, which we have no plans to change.  But as a result of our review, we felt that a new marketing communications partner would assist us in achieving our short- and long-term North American sales goals."

If negotiations go according to plan, WPP will be responsible for providing marketing and communications support to MNAO's U.S., Canadian and Mexican operations, and will be in charge with raising awareness among North American consumers. Hill & Knowlton, a WPP-owned global public relations agency, will continue to provide MNAO public relations and public affairs counsel and support.

"We undertook an agency review as a process check, to ensure our company is properly positioned for substantial growth in North America.  While each one of the agencies we interviewed had unique qualifications, WPP has the broadest set of assets that best fit Mazda's global needs. I'm extremely confident that WPP can take Mazda to the next level," Jim O'Sullivan, MNAO President & CEO, said in a release.