Oxfam appoints WPN to build supporter base

Oxfam has appointed Watson Phillips Norman (WPN) to handle integrated donor recruitment activity in the UK.

The agency will across on and offline channels with the aim of building he charity’s supporter base.

Andrew Barton, head of relationship marketing at Oxfam, says the agency will help it achieve its “ambitious plans for supporter acquisition”.

The recession has hit charitable donations. A September Charity Commission study found that 56% of charities have been affected by the recession, up from 52% at the start of 2009.

WPN will be working alongside Oxfam’s media agency Zenith and online agency, Cheeze. RKCR will continue to act as Oxfam’s overall brand agency.

Oxfam has launched several joint fundraising initiatives in the past year. It introduced CompareforGood.com, a comparison site that donates two-thirds of its revenue to the charity with entrepreneur Ivan Massow in February.

The charity also agreed a deal with indie rockers the Arctic Monkeys last August to sell the band’s then new single in its stores.