BMP wins Guardian Direct

Guardian Royal Exchange (GRE) has handed its pounds 3.5m Guardian

Direct advertising account to BMP DDP after a four-month selection

process.

The appointment comes after a four-way pitch that also included

incumbent CDP, WCRS and Delaney Fletcher Bozell. CDP has been GRE’s

agency of choice for a decade.

GRE spends more on promoting Guardian Direct than any of its other

businesses.

The group called the review in February, after it decided to focus on

the main brand rather than on individual insurance products.

A number of marketing personnel shake-ups at GRE sparked controversy

during the pitch. In March, brand communications manager Peter Valentin

resigned, and last month GRE scrapped Larry Cattle’s position of

marketing director after a reshuffle that coincided with its acquisition

of PPP Health Care. The new director of communications will take over

the marketing director’s duties. Tom Harvey, group communications

manager at PPP Health Care, is likely to take up the post.

The account win is some consolation for BMP, which lost the high-profile

Walkers account last week (Marketing, June 4). Walkers’ parent company

PepsiCo recently realigned its global food arm.

Chris Cowpe, BMP’s joint managing director, said: ’Guardian Direct

operates in a crowded market; we relish the opportunity to build on its

success since its launch in 1994.’

Guardian Direct is the direct-sales arm for personal, motor and

household insurance. Alongside RAC Insurance Direct, it represents one

of four business units within the company. The others are general

insurance, healthcare and the life division.

The review did not include media buying, which was centralised into BBJ

Media Services last year.

This article was first published on Marketing