Lebara in talks on brand development

Telecoms company Lebara Mobile is talking to agencies about a branding project. The provider of pre-pay mobile phones and cheap international calls is understood to be close to appointing an agency to work on brand development.

The English company has offices in 16 cities around the world including London, but does not sell its products in the UK; marketing manager Michelle van Vuuren says it has no plans to do so.

Lebara shook up the Danish market when it launched earlier this year by offering lower rates to international destinations than any of its rivals. Its services are particularly popular with immigrants, who want low rates for international calls.

v Another low-cost telecoms company, Tele2, is talking to a number of agencies about a new marketing push (MW September 15).

Tele2 ran a high-profile advertising campaign earlier this year comparing its prices with BT’s. It has been in talks with integrated and direct marketing agencies in recent weeks. It is not known if it will hold a formal pitch.

Tele2 does not have a retained advertising agency in the UK as its creative work comes from overseas.