Taylors of Harrogate calls review of £4m media account

By Nick Batten, campaignlive.co.uk, Monday, 29 October 2012 11:44AM

Taylors of Harrogate, the tea and coffee merchant that owns the Yorkshire Tea brand, has called a review its £4m media planning and buying account as it aims to consolidate its business into one agency.

Yorkshire Tea: little urn by Beattie McGuinness Bungay

The pitch includes Taylors of Harrogate coffee, the roast and ground coffee brand, and Yorkshire Tea, which, according to the company, have combined annual retail sales in excess of £100m.

Incumbent agencies MediaCom North and PHD North have been shortlisted alongside independent media agency the7stars and Goodstuff Communications to pitch for the account.

Simon Eyles, marketing director of Taylors of Harrogate, said: "Both our coffee and tea brands are performing exceptionally well. We have ambitious plans for the future, and recognise the pivotal role our communications and media partners will play.

"Our decision to review our media arrangements is to both consolidate our current requirements, but to primarily find an agency that can play a key role in developing exciting media plans in the future"

A brief to be sent to the competing agencies is set for mid-November, with pitches to be delivered mid-December.

Creative agency arrangements currently handled by BMB are not affected by the review.

In 2011, Eyles left his role as head of brand marketing at Asda for his new role at  Taylors of Harrogate.

This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk