Agencies line up as Post Office reviews pounds 4m corporate task

The Post Office is reviewing its corporate advertising account and

has earmarked a pounds 4 million budget for the business amid

speculation that it will launch a public awareness campaign in the wake

of ownership changes being planned by the Government.

The incumbent on the business - which spent only pounds 475,000 last

year - is McCann-Erickson, which has been invited to repitch against

four other agencies: Bartle Bogle Hegarty, BMP DDB, WCRS and Lowe

Howard-Spink.

A spokeswoman for the Post Office said it was a statutory review, which

takes place every three years. However the significant boost in spend

comes as the Government prepares to announce its decision on the

organisation’s future ownership structure.

The Department of Trade and Industry is investigating a range of

options, which include a minority share sale or establishing an

independent publicly owned company. The spokeswoman said there were no

plans to use the advertising to address these commercial issues but said

an agency would be appointed early next year.

The most recent Post Office corporate work was last year’s Christmas

campaign.