C&J CLark moots centralisation

BYLN:

Shoe giant C&J Clark International, owner of the Clarks and K Shoes brands, is understood to be planning to centralise its advertising.

The company uses different agencies for various categories of shoes – children’s, training, men’s and women’s shoes as well as the company’s shoe shops. The UK account is worth about 1.55m (Register-MEAL). But the company also advertises internationally.

Register-MEAL gives the company’s agencies as McCann-Erickson (Manchester), RS Alliance International, Gosling Dix and BMP DDB Needham.

It is believed that six agencies will pitch for the centralised account. They are likely to include at least three of the incumbent agencies, although industry sources suggest that BMP DDB Needham will use its subsidiary BMP4 to pitch.

C&J Clark recently spent 500,000 on a campaign for K Shoes Springers brand through McCann-Erickson (Manchester), mainly in women’s press.

The company has seen strong growth overseas in recent years, especially in adult shoes. However, it says the UK children’s market has fallen by 20 per cent in value in the past five years.

Earlier this year, the company said it would close a Somerset factory making children’s shoes by the end of the year.