Vodafone steps up its PR amid burgeoning market

Vodafone Group, the world’s largest mobile communications company,

has shortlisted three agencies to handle its six-figure fee consumer PR

account.

Brodeur A Plus, Cohn and Wolfe and Craigie Taylor International have all

been shortlisted for the account, and an agency is due to be appointed

by Christmas.

Vodafone has decided to retain its first consumer agency as competition

in the UK mobile phone sector intensifies.

Between 1.5 and two million new customers are expected to enter the

mobile phone market this Christmas alone, and the number of users has

been doubling every 18 months for the last four years. Vodafone has four

million UK customers, and eight million worldwide.

The chosen agency will report to corporate affairs manager Mike Caldwell

and senior consumer PR manager Corinne Norris.

Vodafone already retains Craigie Taylor to handle its cricket

sponsorship, alongside Sportsguide which handles its horse-racing

sponsorship and Tavistock Communications, which handles investor

relations.

The company is also looking to expand its in-house team to 11 by

recruiting three more people. All in-house staff will report to

corporate affairs director Terry Barwick.