Following a thorough strategic review, Inspire Brands today announced it has selected a newly-created unit within Publicis Groupe as its media agency of record.

Inspire Media Engine was created as a dedicated media strategy team specifically for the Inspire family of brands. The unit, led by Publicis Groupe agencies Zenith and Digitas, will support national media planning and buying for Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC Drive-In, as well as local media planning and buying for Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC. This does not include National Paid Search or Social for some brands as those functions are either managed in-house or maintained through an outside agency partner not impacted by the review.

Working closely with Inspire’s Commercial Services team, Inspire Media Engine will leverage its capabilities in digital-first, data-driven strategy and investment to drive consumer engagement and traffic across the more than 22,000 U.S. restaurants in the Inspire portfolio.

“While each of our brands has its own distinct positioning and identity, Inspire’s shared services approach to media enables us to leverage our collective resources to benefit the entire portfolio. Coupled with the investments Inspire is making in technology, digital, and data, our partnership with Publicis and Inspire Media Engine will drive significant competitive advantage for each of our brands,” said Navin Sharma, Chief Commercial Services Officer of Inspire.

“As we look to connect with guests in a dynamic media landscape, the bespoke Inspire Media Engine team brings deep expertise, key insights, and an innovative mindset to Inspire’s media planning and buying function,” said Brian Pruitt, vice president of media strategy and planning for Inspire. “Inspire is building a demand generation infrastructure that will allow us to reach new audiences and deliver guest personalization at scale.”

“As one of the leading restaurant companies in the United States, Inspire has the power to engage millions of Americans each and every day,” said Tim Jones, Chief Operating Officer, Publicis Groupe Marketing Services U.S. “We are proud to expand our partnership with this family of iconic brands to foster impactful one-to-one consumer engagement through transformative marketing solutions.”

Inspire initiated its media agency review, led by Jones Lundin Beals + Partners, in August 2020. The firm is the oldest and most experienced consultancy specializing in issues of agency search, compensation, and relationship management.