• by Amy Corr  @MediaPostOTL, December 17, 2013

Zicam, an over-the-counter cold remedy and allergy brand owned by Matrixx Initiatives, named New York-based Protagonist, as agency of record to handle its traditional, digital, experiential and social marketing work. Grok, a New York-based boutique agency, previously handled the account. The agency is in the process of revamping Zicam’s Facebook page, creating a “Shorten Your Cold & Seize The Day” sweepstakes along with additional giveaways. “We’re looking forward to helping Zicam reinforce its difference as a cold medicine that you take at the first sign of a cold that can actually shorten your cold,” Jordan Rednor, co-founder of Protagonist, commented. “We’re talking directly to consumers where they’re most likely to feel a cold coming on, with sponsorships at the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago and full-day activations in Herald Square and Chelsea Piers in NYC, complimenting cold season TV and radio flights,” he said. Zicam spent $23.4 million on measured media in 2012 and $4 million between January and September of 2013, per Kantar Media.