Recruitment body appoints Luther Pendragon for PR

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation has merged its media

relations and public affairs accounts.

The body, which represents recruitment agencies in the UK, has handed

the joint brief to Luther Pendragon (LP) after a mammoth 16 agency,

five-month PR trawl.

PA was previously handled by Weber Shandwick Worldwide-owned GJW, which

took part in the pitch.

Splash Communications handled media relations but resigned the

account.It continues to produce the REC members' magazine.

LP partners Ben Rich Charles Stewart-Smith will co-ordinate public

affairs and media relations respectively. They report to REC director of

external relations Marcia Roberts, who said the aim of the PR review was

to cut costs

She said choosing one agency was 'the preferred option', but that

continuing with two had been considered up until the final six-agency

stage of the pitch.

Roberts added that LP would be tasked with 'projecting our social and

economic contribution to the UK and our role in job creation'.

The account will run for an initial six-month period.