HPS scoops £5m BMW dealers’ brief

BMW has appointed HPS Marketing to its £5m dealership marketing account.

BMW has appointed HPS Marketing to its £5m dealership marketing account.

The agency is believed to have beaten incumbent Emery McLaven Orr (EMO), which has handled the account for the past 15 years, and The Russell Organisation to win the business.

A BMW spokesman could not confirm the appointment as Marketing Week went to press, but it is understood it will be made official by the end of the week.

It is thought that BMW, which called the review in October last year, felt that its dealership marketing needed an overhaul in the face of increasing competition brought about by market deregulation. HPS will be responsible for customer marketing at 130 UK dealerships.

Separately, BMW is reviewing the £25m media planning and buying accounts for its BMW and Mini brands. The business is shared by Vizeum and Element Communications, a joint venture between WCRS and Naked Communications.

The AAR is conducting the review. It is thought that Starcom, Zenith Optimedia and Vizeum have been shortlisted for the media buying brief.

Element was created in December to handle media planning for BMW. WCRS and Naked won the work from Vizeum. Vizeum, under its previous name BBJ, won BMW in 2000 after pitching with Carat International.

Earlier this year, BMW appointed Lida, the direct marketing arm of M&C Saatchi, to handle direct marketing for Mini.