The French building, transport and housing ministry is reviewing
its PR and advertising account, currently held by Euro RSCG.
The ministry hopes to select a new agency by the end of the year, after
hearing detailed presentations from a shortlist of five, which has not
yet been drawn up.
The chosen agency will give strategic advice on press relations, events,
crisis management and other elements of the ministry’s PR campaigns. It
will have no direct contact with the press, but will support the
ministry’s 50 strong communications team.
Major campaigns which the ministry is likely to handle in 1998 include
the Tour de France, the annual cycle race which draws media coverage
from around the world.
The agency is expected to advise on PR for the International Federation
of Football Associations’ World Cup Finals, which France is hosting next
summer. The ministry will be involved in constructing stadiums and
preparing the roads and public transport infrastructure for the
event.
The ministry is also responsible for tourism and will need advice on
promotional campaigns.
The in-house communications staff work in five teams. These are
strategic planning and research, PR, which includes events and
exhibitions, publications, press and media monitoring, and the internal
communications team which co-ordinates the ministry’s hundreds of local
offices.
Euro RSCG has held the account for two years. The new contract will be
for one year and renewable thereafter. The ministry’s deputy director of
information and communications, Brigitte Druenne-Prisette, would not
reveal fees for the account.
