Technology giant IBM has taken its broadcast communications
contract, which carries six figure fees, in-house after using Shandwick
Broadcast for the past 18 months.
The work had included a one-year stint as broadcast consultancy for IBM
UK and EMEA, with the remainder consisting of projects including
handling IBM’s sponsorship of the Wimbledon tennis championships and
work with Tomorrow’s World.
According to Andrew Goldman, IBM’s communications manager, the company
is not looking to appoint another agency. Instead the work will be
undertaken by IBM’s in-house press department, which he heads.
’Shandwick was appointed to add industry expertise, but we are now
better equipped to do that ourselves,’ he said.
Tessa Curtis, chief executive of Shandwick Broadcast, who headed the
account, said:’We had tremendous success with major projects such as
coverage of IBM’s sponsorship of Wimbledon which gained 18 pieces of
national coverage, we also helped train people within IBM.’ She added:
’We are now a global practice and are looking to expand relationships
with clients, but basically this work was with IBM UK and the company
has a global agency so it has not been possible to extend the
relationship.’
IBM currently retains four agencies in the UK - Brodeur A Plus and
Axicom PR on technology PR briefs, Charles Barker BSMG on a corporate
brief and Ogilvy PR Worldwide, which manages IBM’s international
network.
