Jose Cuervo tabs McCann Erickson as new agency of record

The Jose Cuervo tequila brand announced its choice of McCann Erickson New York as its new agency of record, while Gotham Direct was designated its media agency. These new appointments come as part of the brand’s transition from Diageo to Proximo Spirits. According to Kantar Media, the brand invested $11 million in media buys last year.”We plan to make considerable investments in brand building and innovation for the Jose Cuervo portfolio to accelerate its growth” says Mark Teasdale, president and CEO of Proximo.Hank Summy, president of McCann Erickson North America, adds that “Jose Cuervo’s superb 250-year-old tequila recipe has made it one of the world’s great brands. We are thrilled with the opportunity to tell its story and help accelerate its growth”.Jose Cuervo continues to dominate the U.S. tequila market, though its volume of sales dropped 10 percent between 2007 and 2012 to 3.5 million cases, according to Shanken News Daily. Cuervo still controls the lion’s share of the tequila market with 33.66 percent, but its market share slumped 1.89 percent in the 12 months ending May 19. Cuervo’s closest rival is Patron with a 17.25 percent share, according to IRI.