Outdoor scoops £10m BT posters

BT has centralised its £10m poster planning and buying account into Outdoor Connection after a year-long statutory review.

It is the first time the outdoor media accounts for BT and its 60 per cent-owned mobile phone operator BTCellnet have been combined.

Outdoor Connection, incumbent on BTCellnet, pitched against Zenith-owned Meridian, which was responsible for BT’s account handling, and Posterscope, its buying agency. Poster Publicity Limited also pitched for the combined account.

Outdoor Connection managing director Carole Kerman says: “We have clearly defined values which complement BT and BTCellnet ideas.”

BT carries out a statutory review of its suppliers every four years, but last August’s tender was the first time the company’s poster buying had been subject to this regulatory requirement.

BT’s low outdoor spend had previously precluded it from the process, but last year both BT and BTCellnet spent £5m each on poster and outdoor advertising.

The account was the last piece of business in BT’s media review to be awarded.

Last summer the £110m TV buying account was centralised into the Allmond Partnership, and Zenith Media was appointed to handle the £37m press account. New PHD handles strategic media planning.