Metro, the German group which is the world's fifth largest retailer, yesterday launched a new campaign designed to "sharpen the profile" of the company.
The campaign is targeted squarely at the general public and will take the form of a number of adverts using the strapline 'Metro Group - the Spirit of Commerce'.
"We want to make the economically interested public aware of our unique and unmistakable identity as the Metro Group, our joint cross-divisional targets and our feeling of belonging to a strong and efficient alliance," said CEO Dr Hans-Joachim Körber.
The first step in this new direction was taken in November last year when the company streamlined its operations and adopted the Metro Group name.
"We want to make it clear that the Metro Group is more than the sum of its parts, i.e. the sales divisions, and that throughout the group we feel committed to a common corporate culture and to the same values," said Körber.
The ad campaign will initially consist of seven different executions and is designed to appeal to shareholders and investors as well as decision-makers in industry, politics and society. As one of the biggest employers in Germany, Metro said it also wanted to emphasise its attractiveness to managers and potential employees.
The ads will be double page spreads in consumer magazines and double page tunnel ads in daily newspapers, and while it will initially run only in Germany, the campaign could be extended to other international markets at a later date, the company said.