The Association for Payment Clearing Services is to take its pounds
1.5 million anti-credit card fraud account, currently run by Paragon
Communications, in-house.
The Association, known as APACS, oversees money transfers and manages
the payment clearing system in the UK for the major banks and remaining
building societies.
Paragon won the account to handle APACS’ anti-credit and debit card
fraud campaign in 1992 from incumbent Hill and Knowlton. The agency
launched the Card Watch campaign, aimed at retailers, cardholders and
opinion formers such as the police, magistrates and judges.
In 1995 the agency held onto the work after a competitive pitch against
Dewe Rogerson and Hill and Knowlton. It was appointed for three years
with annual fees of over pounds 200,000 and a maximum budget of pounds
500,000 a year.
Paragon will continue handling the account until the end of January.
Katy Silcock and John McVitie, both communications executives for card
services at APACS, will now run the account in-house.
Silcock said the emphasis of the campaign was changing from a public
education campaign aimed at the UK’s 97 million cardholders to targeting
retailers and the police.
APACS feels it is ready to handle the work in-house now. ’We’ve learnt
quite a lot over the last five years,’ said Silcock. She stressed that
the association was ’delighted’ with Paragon’s work. The agency may
continue to handle project work for APACS.
When the agency was hired in 1992, pounds 165 million was lost a year on
credit card fraud. By 1995 the amount had dropped to pounds 83
million.
Silcock reports to Eryl Thomas, head of card services. Her
responsibilities include communication on issues including fraud, cash
machines and the year 2000 IT bug.
APACS retains Sector PR for corporate communications. The agency is
handling its chip card campaign launch. Chip cards, which are intended
to replace magnetic cards, are now being piloted in Northampton and
Dunfermline with 600 retailers.
