Ofcom seeks global agency

Media regulator Ofcom is hunting for an advertising agency to handle a global business-to-business campaign surrounding its high profile auction of the UK digital spectrum.

A number of agencies are understood to have been approached about pitching for the business.

The regulator has been charged with auctioning off spectrum released by the switchover from analogue television services to digital.

The freed-up spectrum will be suitable for services including ultra-fast wireless broadband, mobile television, more digital terrestrial TV channels, local TV and wireless microphones.

The auction is likely to attract interest from a variety of companies, but is unlikely to raise as much for the Treasury as the £22.5bn spent in 2000 on the 3G spectrum auction. Auction winners will be able to “trade” the licence afterwards.

Ofcom is understood to be looking for an agency to undertake an international marketing campaign of the UK’s digital dividend. The regulator expects to auction the spectrum in the first half of 2009. A campaign is expected to be launched later this year, with a three to four month period of intensive activity.

It is also understood to be courting investment banks with experience of marketing investment opportunities to global investors.