Severn Trent water account goes to O&M

Ogilvy & Mather has won the 1m-plus Severn Trent water company account with a brief to persuade customers to save water in the face of continuing shortages.

The agency is understood to have beaten two other agencies, one of which was local, to win the business.

It is thought that the water company wants a long-term relationship with the agency, rather than a one-off campaign. Its last substantial spend was through D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles four years ago, when it spent 750,000 on its first consumer campaign following privatisation.

The forthcoming campaign through Ogilvy & Mather is likely to be aimed at convincing consumers of the need to conserve water, even after this winter’s heavy rain.

Despite the rain, the company claims its reservoirs are still not full and it is understood to have approached industry regulator Ofwat about using meters to regulate demand.

The company was criticised by Ofwat and the National Rivers Authority for failing to do enough to prevent shortages and thereby inconveniencing customers.

In November, Severn Trent announced a 75 per cent increase in pre-tax profits, but also admitted losing up to a quarter of its water through leaks. It has promised to spend 125m to reduce leaks.