easyJet pitches City PR on retained basis

easyJet corporate communications manager Toby Nicol said the airline has traditionally employed agencies on a project basis only, but the group’s increased need for City PR prompted a review.

‘In the last year, we have been pretty busy and realised we have been using Grandfield on a retained basis, but paying them on a man-hours basis, which is the worst of both worlds, so we have decided to go for a retained arrangement,’ said Nicol.

Grandfield has acted for easyJet since winning a competitive pitch to handle the airline’s flotation in 2000.

The agency has handled PR surrounding a number of financial milestones for the group, including former chairman and founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s decision to step down, easyJet’s acquisition of rival budget carrier Go and the group’s multi-billion pound order for 120 Airbus aircraft announced late last year.

Nicol said the company has been targeted in its approach, aiming to wrap the pitch process up before the end of May.

‘We have done a lot of research before we have got to this stage, to ascertain who are the most respected people in the market for the job we want them to do,’ he said.

The successful agency will handle corporate and financial PR, helping position the airline for planned future expansion into Europe and in relation to competitors, such as Ryanair, with whom it has been involved in a very public spat this week over claims made in each company’s advertising.