BA eyes single shop for direct and digital work

by Gareth Jones, Marketing 12-Feb-08, 08:45

LONDON - British Airways is set to consolidate its global digital and direct marketing accounts into a single agency.

The flag-carrier is understood to have expanded a review of its direct marketing and strategic loyalty arrangements to include global digital elements.

BA has already ended its 20-year relationship with Tullo Marshall Warren and LIDA, which has handled direct marketing for British Airways Holidays since 2004.

The airline's global digital account is held by Omnicom-owned Agency.com, which has worked on web development and online advertising since 1996 through interactive marketing and advertising specialist itraffic, which it bought in 1999 and later merged into the agency.

Insiders claim the review is not initially expected to affect BA's relationship with Agency.com, but OgilvyOne and Wunderman Interactive, among others, are pitching for a brief comprising direct and digital activity in key international territories.

BA expects the review to be completed by late spring and hopes the changes will allow it to create a more consistent approach to its below-the-line marketing. The pitch is being overseen by Katherine Whitton, head of marketing communications at BA.

Last November, BA put the digital account for its forthcoming OpenSkies subsidiary up for pitch. Agency.com declined to pitch for the business, citing a full workload. The airline will not name the agency that won the work.

OpenSkies, named after the EU-US agreement that makes its transatlantic service possible, is due to launch in June. Initially, it will fly one Boeing 757 from Brussels and Paris to New York.