• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, July 21, 2021

International sandwich chain Pret A Manger has appointed London-based VCCP as its first global integrated communications agency following a formal four month review. 

The appointment comes as the 37-year-old UK-based chain tries to reinvent itself after being hit hard by the pandemic. The New York Times reported last fall that the company, owned by JAB Holdings--laid off a third of its staff as sales tumbled to 2010 levels in the UK.

The agency is tasked with delivering international campaigns across Pret’s markets in Europe, Asia and across the US. It operates 500-plus stores worldwide.

The appointment marks a shift in Pret’s brand and communications strategy, with a growing focus on digital communications and omni-channel campaigns.

Within the last year, Pret has launched the UK’s first in-shop Pret Coffee Subscription service and brought to market a new “Pret at Home” range available through leading retailers in the UK and France. Delivery partners have been introduced in every market and continue to perform strongly.

Meanwhile Pret is continuing to expand its digital offering, launching new click and collect trials in London and Manchester and an app in the UK and US.

Dan Burdett, Chief Customer and Growth Officer at Pret A Manger stated, “We launched this pitch process with the aim of finding an agency with the capabilities to match our values and our ambitions to bring Pret to people wherever they may be living, working, or traveling." He added that VCCP fills that bill and will help it "communicate with customers as a truly omnichannel business."