VisitBritain heralds Web push with agency appointments

VisitBritain has appointed a roster of 12 agencies to handle its online marketing activities after identifying the internet as its key marketing tool for the next three years.

The tourist body has a worldwide marketing budget of &£36m for the next three years (MW December 8, 2005) and a significant part of it is expected to be spent on Web-based activity.

The appointed agencies are Tullo Marshall Warren, Blue Barracuda, Hildebrand and Seriously along side specialist search engine optimisation and pay-per-click agencies, Catalyst and 24/7 Real Media.

Unique Digital will handle the media planning and 24/7 will also look after media owners, sales houses and planning, alongside Ad Pepper Media, AdLink Internet Media and Pigsback. Cocktail Marketing will handle the organisation’s online promotions work and Whats On When has been appointed as content partner.

The agencies will be responsible for online branding, driving traffic to VisitBritain websites, online data acquisition and creation and design of online advertising.

The organisation is hoping to attract 25 million visitors a year to the VisitBritain portal and will be relaunching the EnjoyEngland website this year.