Adecco puts TBWA on alert with strategy review

by Lucy Barrett, Marketing 05-Apr-06

Adecco, the international recruitment agency, is reviewing its £20m European advertising account with TBWA\London less than four months after appointing the agency.

TBWA has not yet produced any advertising for the company, which has now decided to reassess whether it needs a global network partner. Its headquarters are in Zurich, Switzerland, but it has more than 7000 offices worldwide, and insiders believe it is now likely to work with a smaller local agency in each country.

Adecco's US senior vice-president of public relations and global marketing partnerships, Ian Grundy, who oversaw TBWA's appointment last year, confirmed that the company was reviewing its options.

'We are still evaluating our advertising agency arrangements and still liaising with TBWA\London. However, we are trying to decide whether we want a national or global agency,' he said.

The decision to review the relationship with TBWA was made by Adecco chairman and chief executive Klaus J Jacobs, who was appointed to the role just weeks before TBWA was hired.

Prior to TBWA's appointment, Adecco did not have a global partner and worked with a number of national agencies.