Touch Local seeks to fill 2m integrated account vacancy

Directory service Touch Local is looking for an agency to handle its £2m integrated advertising business. The company is in talks with several undisclosed agencies and wants to make an appointment by the end of the month.

Touch Local appointed Manning Gottlieb OMD to handle its media planning and buying business last month, and Goodstuff to handle communications planning.

It is thought to be looking for an agency to develop advertising, digital and direct marketing for the brand.

The pitch is being led by marketing director Karl Gregory, who was appointed as marketing director in January last year. He was previously head of marketing for Yahoo! Search UK and Ireland and reports to Touch Local chief executive Tamer Ozmen. Touch Local claims to be the UK’s fastest growing online business search service with 2.6 million businesses listed on its directory.

Last month, rival Yell launched its first advertising campaign created by new agency Mother (MW March 15), which won its £20m account in November last year. The latest campaign saw its famous character-led marketing strategy scrapped in favour of a campaign featuring real-life advertisers.

In February, Thomson Directories appointed former Abbey marketer Gary Brown as product and marketing director to replace Kendall Gordon, who left the company after 17 years. Brown was previously head of product and customer marketing at Yell.