If you were chasing the Chipotle account, bad news: the company has selected Burson-Marsteller as its agency of record. Diana Bradley at PRWeek reports:
Chipotle Mexican Grill has picked Burson-Marsteller as its US AOR as the company tries to rebound from the E. coli crisis that caused widespread reputational damage and bogged down its fourth-quarter earnings.
Chris Arnold, communications director for the QSR chain, said Thursday that the company is “meeting with Burson tomorrow and will begin to map out a plan based on our priorities and needs.” He declined other comment on the matter. …
Chipotle split with previous AOR Edelman last fall due to “a sizable piece of business they were taking on that presents a conflict,” Arnold said at the time. …
More recently, the chain has been focused on rebounding from a widespread E. coli scare that began last fall. It has enacted several food-safety procedures, and it closed the doors of restaurants across the country on February 8 to ensure all employees were up to speed.