INTERNATIONAL: Visa International to appoint new Czech agency

PRAGUE: Credit card company Visa International is holding a pitch

for its Czech Republic account after conducting a review of its PR

requirements across Central and Eastern Europe (PR Week, 10 July).

Several agencies, including Interel PR and Eklektik Communications are

thought to be pitching for the account which is worth pounds 60,000 in

fees.

The incumbent agency Donath Burson-Marsteller, which has held the

account for three years, is not thought to be repitching.

After conducting a compulsory review of its Central European PR accounts

Visa has decided to stick with B-M in Poland and Russia and Gulden

Burson-Marsteller in Hungary. B-M’s offices in the Czech Republic and

Hungary were recently bought out by managing directors Michal Donath in

Prague and Julianna Gulden in Budapest but remain affiliates of B-M.

Andrew Morrison, acting head of external communications for Central

Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) at Visa, confirmed the Czech

pitch which is expected to take place in the next month.

Morrison oversees PR arrangements across the CEMEA region.