CardCall launches probe as marketing director is fired

CardCall, the phonecard operator which markets the National Lottery ANYphone card, is investigating its former marketing director Kevin Jackson, who has been sacked after failing “to act in the proper interests of the company”.

The company’s founder, Michael Zwebner, says Jackson was asked to leave after placing advertisements in newspapers without authorisation. These involved sums of between 2,000 and 5,000.

Zwebner says: “We asked him to leave the company. We are studying quite a few of the deals he organised.”

It is understood that Jackson has returned to running his own marketing business, which he was doing before being employed by CardCall.

Jackson’s responsibilities have been assumed by Zwebner, who is now overseeing the company’s marketing. He has assumed the job title of vice-president for development and marketing.

Marketing plans include a sampling campaign of 4 million cards given away with over 60 newspapers, starting at the end of the month.

There are also plans to run an advertising campaign with creative work by Team Saatchi at the end of the month. The company has tied up a licensing deal with Camelot to launch the National Lottery ANYphone card. CardCall recently pulled out of a flotation on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).