BA orders agency and in-house PR review

BA is restructuring its in-house communications team, putting

greater emphasis on internal communications and media relations. It is

also reviewing all 57 accounts held by PR agencies outside the UK.

The airline will review the past performance of all its agencies and

hold pitches in markets where it hopes to improve its

representation.

The agencies report to David Budgen, appointed head of international

communications in March this year.

The airline has decided to increase its communications spend, which is

unspecified but runs into several millions, following a difficult summer

in which the launch of its new livery was marred by a high profile cabin

crew strike.

Communications director Kevin Murray is also recruiting externally for a

chief media officer to handle the massive increase in coverage of BA,

and a head of employee communications. The two new jobs will bring the

number of senior managers reporting to him to six.

Michael Blunt, who ran BA’s newsdesk, has been moved to take charge of

communications for the crew, flight operations and engineering.

Andrea Matthews, currently head of communications strategy, will become

head of account management for corporate resources like the legal and

finance departments.

In most countries BA retains small local agencies, one-man operators or

uses an in-house team. It is unlikely to consolidate PR across several

markets with a single agency.