EHS Brann secures NCP direct business

EHS Brann has been appointed by NCP, the UK’s largest commercial car parks operator, to handle its direct marketing business.

NCP, which was sold to venture capitalist 3i for £555m last month, began contacting agencies about its season-ticket customer acquisition and retention programme earlier this year, and selected EHS Brann following a pitch overseen by head of marketing Graham Wylie.

The company has worked with several agencies in the past, as well as producing some of its direct marketing in house. It has just completed a redesign of its website to reflect the fact that it is involved in consulting and business-to-business projects, as well as car parks.

Wylie says: “We want to challenge some of the perceptions of NCP and car-parking. The significance of the season-tickets business means we now have a long-term requirement for an agency that understands our business.”

NCP, which employs about 5,000 people, changed hands for the third time in seven years when Cinven sold the business to 3i in July. It is best known for its 600 car parks but its fastest-growing business is providing uniformed traffic wardens in 31 towns, cities and boroughs.

NCP also owns a property portfolio of 170 long-leasehold car parks across the country. The company runs car parks at ten UK airports, including Gatwick and Heathrow, and manages car parks at Euston, King’s Cross, Paddington and Victoria railway stations in London.