Subway SG seeks fresh perspectives with Mutant Communications as PR partner

Subway Singapore has appointed Mutant Communications as its PR agency to help strengthen its brand positioning and share-of-voice in Singapore. The appointment will be for a year and follows a pitch held last month. As part of the one year partnership, Subway and Mutant will work together on a series of campaigns that drive business growth and connect with key stakeholders. The agency will also focus on strategic PR, such as thought leadership, brand and trade stories. 

While the brand declined to comment on which other agencies pitched, it said this is the first time Subway has engaged a PR agency on retainer. Work for the brand started with the recent launch of Subway’s localised flavour pairing - the Rendang Sub and the Pandan Cookie. Additionally, Mutant is also supporting Subway’s first large-scale community impact initiative in Singapore, with the distribution of 10,000 Rendang subs to staff and volunteers at vaccination centres, testing centres and the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

Samad Mohd Shariff, country director, Subway, Southeast Asia told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that by partnering with a strategic PR agency, Subway hopes to benefit from creative ideas and fresh perspectives that will positively propel Subway’s image and reputation amongst customers, employees as well as current and future franchisees.

He added that Subway is already seeing the benefits manifest with Mutant, who helped create its very first large-scale community impact initiative - providing meals to frontliners and medical professionals who are doing vital work during these trying times. "With this partnership, we hope to not just engage with our fans more, but to bring more of such impactful activations to the community,” said Samad.

Mutant’s managing director Lina Marican added that she is confident that with Mutant’s creative and strategic expertise, Subway will take its brand "to the next level". Marican was promoted to her role from account director in 2018.

Subway Singapore hyped up its previous launch of the Spicy Buffalo Chicken sub with a "Spicy, Saucy" Spotify playlist which featured 11 songs with relevant titles by various artists - including "One" by Lewis Capaldi, "Bite" by Troye Sivan. "Will" by True and "Spice up your life" by the Spice Girls. The 38-minute long playlist was done in collaboration with VaynerMedia Asia Pacific and MediaCom. The launch followed the appointment of PHD to handle media planning and buying duties for Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan earlier in April. Across the border, Subway Malaysia recently celebrated the Rendang launch with a new national anthem to "ignite the patriotic spirit" of Malaysians. The anthem featured celebrities Zee Avi, NYK, Shak, and Haneri. 

Meanwhile, Mutant Communications hired former Ruder Finn Malaysia's country head Archana Menon shortly after its foray into Malaysia earlier this year in February. Its recent clients also include Singapore Sports Hub, which appointed Mutant last year in December following a competitive pitch.

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