• by Larissa Faw , February 17, 2015

The robotic vacuum cleaner Roomba has high brand awareness -- achieving pop culture status if not yet becoming a household staple.

Now, sources say, Roomba's parent company, iRobot, is rethinking this brand status under Spark, its new media agency of record, responsible for all traditional and digital investment and strategy -- taking over for the incumbent agency, Mullen. 

iRobot spends close to $25 million on advertising annually, according to AdViews.

Spark, part of Publicis Groupe’s Starcom MediaVest Group, will oversee the flagship Roomba brand as well as iRobot's other brands, including the Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot, Scooba Floor Scrubbing Robot, Mira Pool Cleaning Robot and the Braava Floor Mopping Robot.

Roomba also develops product for the defense, industrial, security and enterprise markets.

In recent earning calls, iRobot executives say that the company plans to invest heavily to drive growth both within the category as well as to extend its consumer base. Some 15% of the money spent globally on vacuum cleaners are those priced over $200 and more than 50% of those sold are now robot-directed devices, according to iRobot.

Company executives believe the adoption rates for robotic vacuum cleaners are similar to other "disruptive" household devices such as the microwave oven and dishwasher. At the same time, wet floor care is expected to be an important part of its strategy and the company plans to optimize the positioning and go-to-market strategy of Scooba and the Braava.

Spark and Roomba officials could not be immediately reached for comment.