Text 100 has landed the estimated pounds 500,000-budget public
relations contract for telecommunications giant Orange.
The account, which encompasses business-to-business, consumer, trade and
media relations and sponsorship support, is worth at least pounds
350,000 in fees.
The loss of the Orange business will prove a blow to incumbent agency
Paragon Communications, as the contract was one of its largest.
Paragon re-pitched for the business alongside Manning Selvage and Lee,
Countrywide Porter Novelli and A Plus and then made it on to a shortlist
with Manning Selvage and Lee.
No decison has yet been reached over the future role of Paragon director
Mark Davis, who was drafted in by Orange as its acting head of public
relations last August.
Davis said that he was now in negotiations with Text 100 over what his
future role with Orange would be.
Hi-tech specialist Text 100 has also been offered the PR account for
First Telecom, a telecommunications company which specialises in long
distance and international calls.
Both First Telecom and Text 100 said that this would not conflict with
the Orange business.
Orange’s financial consultancy Dewe Rogerson and its political advisers
Lowe Bell Political were not affected by the consumer and trade PR
review, which was initiated in January this year (PR Week, 17
January).
