Introducing Match Retail

Match Marketing Group Launches Public Label and Match Retail, Two North American Agencies Built for the Future of Marketing and Retail

New Agencies Offer Integrated Creative Marketing and Retail Expertise, Respectively, Servicing Clients across North America, Driving Growth and Building a Creative Culture

North American consumer engagement agency Match Marketing Group announced today the launch of two new agencies – Public Label and Match Retail – in a reimagination of how the group will continue to offer high impact creative solutions for clients in today’s evolving marketplace.

The announcement follows an extensive overhaul and modernization of the agency’s unique expertise, offerings and go-to-marketing approaches. Match Marketing Group will remain the organizational unit that will oversee the two new agencies, which will operate independently.

Public Label is a North American independent creative marketing agency. Built upon Match Marketing’s legacy of success in integrated, experiential, shopper and digital marketing, Public Label raises the bar with its investment in talent from all corners of the industry, and with an enhanced offering that combines creative and strategy with data and technology to solve complex business challenges. There is also a renewed focus on understanding the connection between audience motivations and cultural movements to unlock opportunities that matter most to brands. Public Label describes this approach as “using intelligence and creativity to hack cultures.”

“Over the past year we have shifted the way we bring brands to market – connecting brands, cultures, and understanding audience motivations to drive growth,” said Brian Cohen, CEO of Match Marketing Group. “With Public Label, we have invested heavily to create a new mindset of mastering the nuances of human behavior by ‘hacking’ popular cultures, and by understanding what motivates those audiences to take action.”

“Over the past year we have shifted the way we bring brands to market – connecting brands, cultures, and understanding audience motivations to drive growth,” said Brian Cohen, CEO of Match Marketing Group. “With Public Label, we have invested heavily to create a new mindset of mastering the nuances of human behavior by ‘hacking’ popular cultures, and by understanding what motivates those audiences to take action.”

The new approach has already led to success for existing clients including Progressive, Adidas, Fujifilm, Mars Wrigley, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, OZO and the recently relaunched Ford Bronco.  

Eric Moncaleano, who was appointed ECD earlier this year, will oversee creative for Public Label. 

“We are thrilled to finally introduce Public Label to the world,” said Moncaleano. “We are made up of thinkers, dreamers and doers who are passionate about creating work that shifts perspective and inspires positive action. Our integrated, idea-led approach is already having an impact – resulting in more meaningful insights for our clients, and fostering a more unified, collaborative, creative culture internally.”

Public Label’s leadership team includes: Eric Moncaleano, ECD; Brian Kittelson, EVP Brand Strategy & Commercialization; Anne Dean, SVP, Marketing Solutions; and Gary Westgate, VP, Creative.

Match Retail emerges in a move that solidifies its reputation as a leading sales, merchandising and branded retail agency for major brands across North America. Match Retail’s expanded capabilities include an increased investment in upfront associate training and data and analytical assessments to further differentiate its offerings in the marketplace.

The agency, which helps brands get “retail ready” and drive conversion in traditional shopping environments, has been operating for over 12 years. Current clients include LG, Rogers Communications, TELUS, Nespresso, Danone and L’Oreal, among others. For Rogers and TELUS, Match created a national wireless kiosk business called WOW! Mobile Boutique that operates within shopping malls across Canada. Match Retail currently runs 83 locations and manages end-to-end retail including kiosk management, sales and productivity, marketing and merchandising, supply chain, HR, operations, training and development.

Match Retail’s leadership team will be co-led by Vanessa Schnekenburger, Managing Director; and Greg Quick, Managing Director.

“Match Marketing has been designing and executing retail-driven services for more than a decade,” said Schnekenburger. “With our proven track record and potential for growth, it made sense to organize and invest in a much larger way. By doing so, we’ve given Match Retail a focused investment strategy that gives us a competitive advantage in the marketplace while also providing our teams the opportunity to step into the spotlight and get the recognition for the amazing work they do.”

Since being acquired by private equity firm Southfield Capital in 2018, Match Marketing Group named new leadership in 2019 with the appointment of Cohen as CEO who was tasked with creating a new vision to grow the agency, building a strong and engaging culture to attract the best talent, and delivering innovative marketing solutions for clients.

As part of this new organizational design, the agencies are streamlining operations between two hubs: Boulder, Colorado and Toronto, Canada. Public Label will be based in Boulder and Toronto, while Match Retail will remain in Toronto where its retail operations have been based.

Nespresso Canada announces two new sustainability initiatives

Nespresso Canada will use new capsules made using 80% recycled aluminum and new fully recyclable boxes made from 95% recycled material for their machine

Nespresso Canada is proud to announce two new sustainability initiatives that are part of the company’s sustainable development approach, namely the launch of new capsules made using 80% recycled aluminum and new fully recyclable boxes for Nespresso machines, dedicated to the Vertuo Next range to begin with, made from 95% recycled material. The first ever coffee capsules made using 80% recycled aluminum are the Original Line Master Origin Colombia. By the end of 2021, Nespresso aims to have both initiatives extended to all ranges of the consumer coffee and machines.

“This announcement allows Nespresso to continue improving its environmental impact, a very important objective for us. This is a significant milestone in our journey towards circularity and in maximizing the reuse of product materials. This is aligned with the principle of extended producer responsibility, a key concept for Nespresso”, says Julie Pomerleau, Vice-President, Marketing at Nespresso Canada.

A Guarantee of Sustainability and Responsibility
Nespresso’s aluminum capsule is central to the company and its values. In addition to being infinitely recyclable, aluminum is a material of choice that also protects the freshness and aromas of the coffee. Made of a thinner aluminum foil, each new capsule is made using 80% recycled aluminum, will use 9.2% less aluminum material and will be 8% lighter. These capsules will require less energy to make than a virgin product, a consistent choice with the company’s sustainability objectives. Moreover, Nespresso will continue to work alongside its partners to use aluminum compliant with the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), a standard recognizing the best management practices of companies in the aluminum sector as it relates to sustainable development.

For Nespresso, the continuous improvement of sustainability and the circularity of its operations is a priority, both in the supply, use, and recycling of its materials and products. The company is determined to continue to improve the proportion of recycled aluminum in its capsules and to make the recycling process easier for consumers.

Recycling is at heart of Nespresso’s actions
Nespresso plays a key role in reducing residual materials across the country. Among other things, the company has been developing and implementing recycling solutions for more than 25 years around the world.

These include the Black Bag Solution, which allows consumers to drop-off their used aluminum capsules to a Nespresso Boutique or to a partner collection point, and the Red Bag Solution, which allows them to drop off the used aluminum capsules in a Canada Post mailbox or Post Office. The Green Bag Solution for its part allows citizens of the participating municipalities to deposit their used aluminum Nespresso capsules in a green bag, then to place the latter in their recycling bin at home. The availability of these solutions varies depending on where consumers live.

These entirely recyclable bags are sent to the sorting center and then sent to a local partner to undergo a mechanical process separating the coffee grounds from the aluminum. The aluminum is recovered, and the coffee grounds are used as high-quality compost on local farms, at no additional cost to consumers or municipalities.

In Canada, nearly 500 municipalities have joined the Green Bag Solution for used Nespresso capsules. The company also aims to offer the Green Bag Solution across Canada.

WOW! Mobile finishes staggered reopening of its 83 locations

WOW! says it developed a ‘COVID-19 playbook’ and new precautions to protect customers

WOW! Mobile announced that it has officially reopened all its locations.

The retailer, which sells wireless services and devices for Rogers, Telus and their flanker brands, completed a staggered reopening plan this week.

The plan started with a ten-store pilot launch in early May. WOW! says it kept in daily communication with its field members and store managers to gather information to prepare for the next round of openings.

Now all 83 locations across Canada are up and running again.

After closing its doors in March to help curb the spread of COVID, the retailer was excited to re-open to serve its community.

Added safety measures is just the start

New precautions include increased cleaning measures, mapped traffic zones in kiosks, redesigned kiosks with plexiglass, neutral zones to help with item transfer and transactions, increased PPE, additional employee uniforms, a one-time use stylus and pen for sign-ups that customers can keep and more.

WOW! also says it found that customers liked the kiosks more than standard retail stores because the more open nature allowed families to shop together. Retail stores, on the other hand, restricted customers to one at a time.

WOW! Mobile first closed its stores in March, but the company says it began planning for its eventual reopen almost immediately. Those interested in learning more about Wow Mobile or finding a location near them can head to the retailer’s website.