Amazon to review £2m UK account

Amazon, the Internet bookseller, is to review its &£2m UK advertising account, with incumbent agency Banks Hoggins O’Shea/FCB invited to repitch.

Amazon.co.uk public relations manager Judith Catton says: “We can confirm the UK creative account is up for pitch. We will be drawing up an agency list over the next few weeks. Banks Hoggins O’Shea is invited to repitch for the business.”

She denies the review is related to the departure of Amazon’s marketing director Chris Ketley last month.

Ketley, Amazon’s chief UK marketer, walked out of the company after only four months in his post, saying he had joined to do one job, but ended up doing another.

Amazon is looking for a replacement, with its European vice-president Dr Simon Murdoch taking responsibility for UK marketing operations in the interim.

Amazon’s media buying is handled by Total Media and is not being reviewed.

Amazon.co.uk, the UK arm of the Seattle-based Amazon.com set up in 1994, was launched last October after it acquired online bookseller Bookpages.

The company, which claims to be the largest Internet retailer of books, music and videos, aims to expand its warehouse space twelve-fold by 2000 to meet demand.

Amazon is also facing increasing competition from online retailers such as the Bertelsmann-owned BOL UK, and WH Smith Online – which are offering best selling titles at up to half the price of high street booksellers.