ú11m Mail brief put up for pitch

The Royal Mail has put its £11m account up for review – for the first time in eight years.

The account is held by Bates Dorland and D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, with the bulk of the spend going through the press, though the Royal Mail also uses radio and has its “Think of a letter” TV campaign, which was created by DMB&B, and is running at the moment.

The review, which does not affect its below-the-line business, comes soon after the Government’s decision to drop privatisation plans for the Post Office.

“It’s the right time to be doing it because the market is changing and the review will result in a change in direction,” says a spokesman. “Our brand has a very high level of awareness and there’s a feeling that we are not doing enough with the brand now.”

The Royal Mail says that the review will take four months and it will use the Advertising Agency Register to make its selection of agencies. It says that any agencies which attempt to contact it through any other route will be frowned upon.

* Royal Mail International has appointed John Dunlop as its new director and general manager. Dunlop replaces Jim Cotton-Betteridge, who was ap- pointed Royal Mail director of marketing last year.