Santander calls media review

Santander, the financial services giant, has called a review of its media planning and buying accounts. Carat, which is the incumbent on its Abbey and Alliance & Leicester businesses, has been invited to take part in the pitch.

It is also carrying out a media agency review of its Bradford and Bingley retail savings business. It is currently held by MediaCom North.

A shortlist of agencies is being drawn up, with a decision expected to be made by the end of the year.

The media planning and buying account will cover traditional and online media, including business-to-business and directories.

Abbey director of brand and communications, Keith Moor, will oversee the process.

“Carat has done a great job for Abbey and A&L over the past few years. However, with the acquisition of A&L and B&B, we need to consider our media planning and buying requirements across three businesses. In a tough economic environment, we are committed to ensuring we are getting real value from all our agencies,” Moor says.

It is understood that Abbey’s advertising account – currently held by WCRS – will not be affected by the review.