Start-up agency gains Carphone Warehouse direct marketing brief

The Carphone Warehouse has appointed start-up agency Trinity Communications to handle a direct marketing media planning brief.

The agency has been given a brief to rethink the retailer’s DM strategy for home phone and broadband brand TalkTalk, which has previously relied almost exclusively on direct mail activity.

Trinity joins the retailer’s roster alongside advertising agency CHI & Partners, which won the £45m pan-European planning and buying account from Matters Media last month without a pitch (MW January 17). CHI has also won the brand’s online media buying from incumbent Essence.

Trinity’s first work for the brand will be a campaign, aimed at acquiring new customers, breaking later this month. The appointment was made by group head of direct marketing, Gary Ryan.

TalkTalk wants to explore new media channels and develop The Carphone Warehouse’s insert market, as well as its existing direct mail activity. It is thought the brand is looking at a number of ways to acquire new customers, including third party inserts, and could expand to include direct-response TV and internet activity.

It is understood that TalkTalk is keen to replicate the mix of direct channels of competitors including Virgin Media, which spends about £20m on direct response across a range of channels.

Media planning agency Trinity, which is backed by Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw, was founded in July 2007 by partners Phil Nunn, Simon Timlett and Amy Lennox.

Nunn was previously managing partner of Manning Gottlieb OMD, Lennox was digital media strategist at OMD Group and Timlett was managing partner of Initiative unit Brand Connection.