Marks and Spencer Financial Services has appointed Lansons
Communications to raise its profile in the national media.
Lansons pitched against four other agencies and will report to PR
manager Chris Larkin. He said: ’We are moving our main PR account to
Lansons from 1 December. One of the key aspects of our work is
awareness, especially, in the personal finance pages of the nationals.’
Lansons’ account will be annual and subject to regular reviews.
M&S’s financial services arm has used Staniforth PR for two years to
provide support on regional and trade press relations, sponsorship and
community relations in the Chester area, where the company is based. The
business has not previously sought to raise its profile in the national
media and did not invite Staniforth to pitch for the new work but
continues to use the agency for community relations and sponsorship.
M&S Financial Services provides in-store account cards, personal loans,
unit trusts, PEPs, personal pension plans and life assurance
schemes.
The company is wholly-owned by M&S, has been operating for 13 years and
provided the M&S group with eight per cent of its total profit for 1997
to 1998.
