Saga pools pounds 5m media into CIA

Saga, the holidays-to-financial services combine targeting the over

50s, has centralised its pounds 5 million media account into CIA

Medianetwork.

CIA already handles Saga, which spent about pounds 1.5 million last

year, but now the company has decided to pool all of its business into a

single media agency.

CIA picks up the pounds 1.2 million financial services media planning

and buying, previously handled by Carat Direct, and will also now work

on Saga’s first national TV advertising campaign, planned for the

autumn.

Mike Elms, the chief executive of CIA, confirmed the consolidation and

said: ’Saga’s a brilliant client and it’s exceedingly well-placed for

future growth.’

The media centralisation comes as Saga prepares for a new marketing push

in a bid to accelerate its growth and broaden its customer base.

Saga appointed Ogilvy & Mather in June as its creative agency with a

brief to create a TV advertising campaign which would also help update

Saga’s image, ditching the zimmerframe impression in favour of a more

modern, active view of the over 50s.

The company is best known for its holiday packages tailored to the grey

market.

But in recent years Saga has expanded its business base to include a

range of products and services targeting the over 50s, including

insurance, a Saga Visa card, the home gas market, a low-cost telephone

service and its own magazine.

This article was first published on Campaign