Carat limbers up for review of 40m GBP Royal Mail media
Royal Mail is preparing to review its £40m media planning and buying account, held by Carat. The statutory review is expected to begin in the next two weeks.
The review will also include the company’s data and digital accounts, which are handled by Proximity London, and it is thought that it will extend to the media planning and buying for the Post Office, which is also handled by Carat.
The Post Office completed a review of its advertising earlier this year, when it reappointed incumbents Publicis and Joshua and added Triangle, which has since been merged with Arc, to its roster (MW February 16).
Carat’s contract comes to an end in March next year. The agency originally won the business in 1997 and held on to it in 2002 after a statutory review. But by law Royal Mail has to put the account up for pitch every three to five years. It is thought the review will be overseen by the company’s marketing director, Alex Batchelor, who joined from Orange last year (MW April 21, 2005).
A spokesman for Royal Mail denies a review is about to begin, saying/ “We will have to do it at some stage, but not yet.”
The review is not expected to affect Royal Mail’s £20m advertising account, which is held by Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO, at this stage. The agency won the business in May 2003.
