DIRECT: Armed Forces finance business goes to Ping

The Navy, Army, Air Force Institute (NAAFI), which supplies retail, finance and leisure goods to families of the UK armed forces, has hired Ping Communications to handle the through-the-line account for its financial services division.

Ping won the work after a three-way pitch against Black Cat and JDA.

Believed to be worth around pounds 1m, it includes advertising, direct marketing and sales promotion activity.

NAAFI's range of financial products, currently called Warrior, will be rebranded NAAFI Financial. The organisation operates through a network of 23 branches inside Army bases, on board Royal Navy vessels worldwide, and through its direct operation. The products are available exclusively to the armed forces, and offer bespoke features and competitive rates.

The work is also likely to feature customer relationship management activity, allowing NAAFI to target products more effectively.

'We needed an agency with a thorough understanding of our unusual audience,' said Janita Hanif, NAAFI Financial marketing and business development director. 'We will build a marketing database next year, and use it for a range of data-driven activity.'

Ping managing partner Rupert Pybus said: 'Issues such as rank, regiment and service, and others, mean it is important that we explore a range of media routes and build detailed data profiles.'

This article was first published on Marketing