HarperCollins appoints Agency.com to revamp site

by Staff, Brand Republic 25-Oct-06, 15:00

LONDON - Publisher HarperCollins has appointed Agency.com to develop its consumer website and boost digital marketing capabilities to online consumers for its authors and titles.

HarperCollins has tasked Agency.com with creating a more integrated and consumer-centric site with a focus on how it can make its content available via channels such as blogs, mobile phones and podcasting.

The agency won the account after a competitive pitch involving four other agencies.

The News Corporation-owned publisher called the review in early August. The pitch was overseen by Shiona McDougall, the newly appointed group marketing director at HarperCollins.

McDougall joined HarperCollins from Agency.com and prior to that was marketing director for Virgin Wines Online.

McDougall said: "Agency.com stood out from the crowd in the pitch process and demonstrated that they share our strategic vision of the opportunities that exist for a major trade publisher in the online space.

"Their core strengths in project management, information architecture and creativity in website development projects made them a natural choice for us."

Alex Wright, managing director of Agency.com, added: "We are delighted to have won this exciting pitch. The brief will give HarperCollins one of the most innovative and progressive websites in the industry which will boost digital marketing opportunities and consumer appeal for all forms of author content."

The new site is expected to launch in 2007.

HarperCollins includes Tony Parsons, Michael Crichton, JG Ballard, Annie Proulx, Jonathan Franzen and Nigel Slater among its authors.

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