Cash to cards group De La Rue has appointed Countrywide Porter
Novelli to handle its corporate PR as part of its drive to raise its
profile.
De La Rue is keen to move away from its traditional image as a banknote
printer and to reposition itself as a provider of hi-tech services, from
brand protection, data transmission and cashless payment systems.
Countrywide was chosen after a four-way pitch against Paragon, Hill and
Knowlton and Hallmark. Brunswick, which handled some corporate PR, will
continue to supply financial PR. Countrywide will initially provide
support for De La Rue’s European card systems business, based in the UK
and France.
Stephen Hoffman Womersley, head of corporate affairs, said that despite
many people using De La Rue products in the form of banknotes,
passports, driver’s licences and credit cards, the company’s brand has a
low visibility.
’We are not known for areas such as software development, smart card
systems or brand protection of items like pharmaceutical products,’ he
said.
