Band and Brown lands TNT International PR

Leading global express delivery firm TNT International has hired

Band and Brown to handle its UK business-to- business and corporate

PR.

The agency pitched against Luther Pendragon, Consolidated Communications

and incumbent agency Shandwick, which has worked for TNT since 1993 and

will continue to co-ordinate global PR for the firm.

Band and Brown starts work next month on the six-figure fee account.

Its brief is to build the TNT International brand in the business

community, but also among broader consumer audiences as the firm faces

increased competition from rivals like DHL and Federal Express. Part of

its work will involve relaunching some of TNT International’s

products.

Band and Brown chief executive Nick Band said: ’It’s going to be an

issues-driven campaign. We will be focusing on logistics and

distribution as a business issue and how important that is to companies.

We will be elevating the issue of moving goods around the world to

boardroom level.’

The account will be led by Band and Brown account director Rowan Andrews

who until recently worked in the Post Office press office. He will work

with TNT International’s marketing team, headed by national marketing

manager Sophie Watson.

TNT International operates more vehicles and has more distribution hubs

in Europe than its competitors.

It distributes and delivers parcels, runs a private mail system and a

logistics operation to which clients outsource their goods warehousing

and delivery functions. It handles 50,000 tonnes on a weekly basis, has

664 depots and runs a vehicle fleet of 17,000 worldwide.

The firm employs 50,000 staff in 200 countries and is headquartered in

Amsterdam. It employs Shandwick in 23 countries. The firm was taken over

by the Dutch post office two years ago and since then has been a part of

holding company the TNT Post Group, which is listed on the stock

exchanges of London, Amsterdam, New York, and Frankfurt.

It registered an operating profit of pounds 226 million for the first

half of 1998 on a turnover of pounds 2.6 billion, up eight per cent and

nine per cent respectively.

TNT International launch-ed a new global advertising campaign earlier

this year to raise its brand awareness and introduce the firm’s new logo

of three linked circles.