Specialist tea firm Twinings has handed its pounds 200,000 PR account to
Jane Howard PR (JHPR) ending a ten-year relationship with Kensington-
based EPR.
Twinings marketing manager Julia Mooney said she was ‘looking for a
fresh approach and obviously EPR had handled the account for a long
period of time.’
She stressed that the move did not reflect badly on EPR, although the
consultancy was not invited to repitch. The three-way pitch also
included Nexus PR and Beechey Morgan.
JHPR’s brief is to help Twinings increase its market leadership in the
UK’s speciality teas market, where it now has a record 56 per cent
share. It is also dominant in the herbal infusions sector, with a 68 per
cent share.
But the company, founded in 1706, is also keen to increase its share in
the burgeoning iced tea market. It launched its first product here in
May.
‘We need to generate a lot of sampling and trial of this new product,’
said Mooney.
JHPR will work closely with Saatchi & Saatchi. The ad agency has handled
a pounds 2 million advertising account which has been used to target
about 20 women’s titles on a rotating monthly basis over the past two
years.
JHPR will also be expected to generate publicity around the fact that
two ninth and tenth generation members of the Twining family are still
working in the company. Sam Twining is corporate relations director, and
Stephen Twining is a marketing executive.
The total UK tea market is worth pounds 500m but has, in marked contrast
to Twinings’ core markets, been in steady decline.
