Mazda bids bye-bye to company behind Zoom-Zoom

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) announced is in contract negotiations with WPP Group plc to become its full-service marketing communications partner.

The move comes after an “extensive agency review” and sees the replacement of Doner, the company that helped create the global Zoom-Zoom campaign.

“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 and president of Mazda Canada Inc.

But as a result of our review, we felt that a new marketing communications partner would assist us in achieving our growth plans domestically and globally.” Mazda reps said the agency review process was its way of ensuring the company was “properly positioned for substantial growth in North America as well as globally.”

WPP, which has been Mazda Motor Europe’s marketing partner for more than 12 years, will be responsible for providing marketing and communications support to MNAO’s U.S., Canadian and Mexican operations.

This marks the first time that MNAO’s marketing communications will be directed by a common agency.