Texas Grocer Shops Radio, TV To Lone Star Agencies

The San Antonio-based H.E. Butt grocery chain has begun discussing broadcast creative assignments with several Texas agencies.
Sources said those contacted by the 248-unit retailer include Dallas-area shops Ackerman McQueen and The Richards Group and McCann-Erickson and Rives Carlberg in Houston. Executives at those agencies either could not be reached or declined to comment.
Suzanne Allford, group vice president of sales and marketing for HEB, did not return calls to discuss the search.
HEB’s 1997 media spending hit $8 million-plus, per Competitive Media Reporting.
The bulk of the company’s units operate under the HEB Food Stores banner, though about one-third are smaller Pantry Foods sites without speciality departments.
Most of HEB’s advertising is currently handled internally, though it also assigns creative work to agencies on a project basis.