Motive has established a toe-hold on the Financial Times roster
after scooping the media planning and buying account for the FT’s new
personal finance website.
Although all of the FT’s media business is usually handled by BJK&E, the
launch of the internet site was approached as a separate division with
responsibility for its own advertising and media account.
Motive was originally introduced to the client by its sister creative
agency, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, which was awarded the creative account at
the beginning of October after beating TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, Lowe
Howard-Spink, Delaney Fletcher Bozell and Miles Calcraft Briginshaw
Duffy in the pitch.
However, Catherine Edmondson, head of the FT’s personal finance
operation, considered the media appointment separately and invited
Motive to line up against BJK&E for the business.
The website has a working title of Fig.com. Ad budgets to support the
launch of the service are expected to be pounds 500,000, rising to
pounds 6 million across the next 12 months.
The site includes personal finance news and e-commerce
opportunities.
It is designed to be distinct from FT products such as FT.com, which
cater for a predominantly business audience. The decision to avoid the
FT name in the site’s title reflects the fact that it is positioned at a
more general audience.
Iain Jacob, executive director of client services at Motive, said: ’We
want to work with established new-media companies and this is one of the
good ones out there.’
