AMS Direct picks up £21m Claims Direct brief from ARM
Claims Direct, the troubled personal injury claims company, has appointed AMS Direct to its &£21m media planning and buying account held by ARM Media.
The creative account held by ARM Direct is also under review and a decision is expected within weeks.
AMS Direct beat competition from the incumbent and other undisclosed agencies.
Claims Direct head of marketing Beth Powell says: “We need agency resources to enable us to strengthen the brand and create more targeted direct-response campaigns through a broader media mix.”
Claims Direct changed hands twice last year after its share price tumbled from 353.5p in 2000 to 10p in 2001.
Co-founders Colin Poole and Tony Sullman bought back the company in August 2001 at 10p per share after a bitter battle with shareholders. They made &£60m from the flotation of the company in 2000 when it was valued at 180p per share. By the end of August Poole and Sullman had sold the company on to private investor Simon Ware-Lane.
In the year to March 2001 the company announced losses of &£20.2m, but it has since shown signs of recovery. Powell replaced Roger Plantier as marketing director in April last year following Plantier’s resignation (MW April 12, 2001).
