TMD Carat has emerged triumphant from the review of Royal Mail’s
pounds 20 million centralised media planning and buying account,
defeating two other agencies at the final hurdle.
TMD pitched against BMP Optimum and the incumbent, MediaVest, in the
final stage of the review after Mediapolis and Zenith Media fell in the
first round. TMD was told on Monday that it had secured the business and
will begin working on the account from 1 January.
Royal Mail’s marketing controller, Derek Fairhurst, said this week that
TMD had secured the business because its strategic approach was most
closely aligned to Royal Mail’s business objectives.
’Clients such as Royal Mail are calling increasingly for a more
integrated approach to media planning,’ Fairhurst explained.
’This means that media planning and buying agencies will need to respond
by positioning all forms of communication, including direct mail,
alongside TV, press and outdoor when planning the optimum media
mix.’
Mark Craze, the managing director of TMD Carat, said: ’In terms of our
strategic development, we are very much moving in the same direction.
TMD Direct is a well-established brand and the whole field of direct
marketing is a priority investment area.’
Fairhurst added that Royal Mail had been very happy with the performance
of MediaVest, which has held the business since it picked up the
centralised account in 1992: ’The change to TMD Carat in no way reflects
any dissatisfaction with MediaVest’s input.’
