£8M UK agency search for Tiscali
Internet service provider Tiscali is looking to appoint its first retained UK advertising agency to its &£8m business.
As part of a bid to establish itself as a major broadband provider in the UK, Tiscali spent heavily during the first part of this year, promoting its Broadband 150 package, which is three times faster than dial-up, for &£15.99 a month. It used advertising created in house or by its Italian agency.
In March, Tiscali forced BT to change comparative advertising proclaiming: “The truth about Tiscali’s notsoquitebroadband.” After protests and legal threats, the ads were amended to exclude Tiscali’s name.
Since Tiscali halted its advertising in the summer, a price war has broken out among rival providers, many of which are now offering quicker broadband connections for &£17.99 a month. The appointment of a new agency could herald a new product or price positioning by the provider.
Across Europe, Tiscali is now the third-largest internet provider following a series of strategic purchases, and the fourth-largest in the UK. A major player during the dot-com boom, the company has experienced difficulties and has recorded losses for the past six years.
It uses OMD UK for its media planning and buying.
