Camelot to review agencies before relaunch

Camelot commercial director Phil Smith, appointed last week, will review the agency arrangements of the lottery operator when he joins the company next year.

Smith, who is the former vice-president of strategy and development for Kraft Europe, says he will assess all of Camelot’s agency arrangements when he takes up his post in January before deciding whether to call a formal review.

WCRS has held the Camelot advertising account, which is worth £27m, since 1998. This year the operator reappointed Media Planning Group (MPG) to handle its media account after it pitched against OMD UK, which handles the media buying.

Smith has held marketing directorships at Somerfield and Kwik Save as well as Kraft. His role at Camelot has been newly created.

He has pledged to reverse the decline in National Lottery sales, to increase sales by 40 per cent to £50bn and bring in £15bn for good causes during the next licence period which starts on January 27.

Camelot is still seeking to appoint a sales director and a marketing director following Ian Milligan’s resignation (MW September 27).

The company is planning a relaunch in the spring, though the exact details have yet to be revealed.