KMM holds on to Rover Germany

Kevin Morley Marketing has retained its hold on the 13m Rover Germany account, confounding industry speculation that the agency was set to lose all the pan-European Rover business.

The German account review, which began in October, excited industry watchers who believed it represented the first crack in the five-year contract Kevin Morley negotiated with Rover when he established the agency in 1992. It heightened speculation about the future of the whole 100m per year pan-European Rover business.

But winning the contract should strengthen the agency’s grip on the account, as well as disappoint those who believed Morley was set to lose the whole account to Bates Worldwide , which handled the Rover business before KMM was created. Interest has concentrated on just how watertight the contract between KMM and Rover is.

The German pitch was prompted by concern among Rover’s BMW bosses about domestic market conditions where Rover accounts for less than 0.5 per cent of sales. KMM opened an office in Dsseldorf last April to handle the account and beat KNS Hamburg, Rempen & Partners and Lintas Frankfurt.

Rover Germany spokesman Frank Mller denied a decision had been made. "We are still discussing the legal side," he says. The reappointment was confirmed by Rover’s Birmingham headquarters. A Rover spokeswoman was unable to give the reasons for KMM’s success.