Carphone Warehouse appoints Lida

Carphone Warehouse has appointed Lida and Table 19 to handle its DM account. It won the business following a pitch against Meteorite and incumbents Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw and WDMP.

A Carphone Warehouse spokesman says it may look to add to its DM roster in the future.

The appointment follows a major restructure within Carphone Warehouse’s marketing department in August. The restructure followed the part-acquisition of its retail business by US electronics company BestBuy.

As part of the changes Carphone Warehouse’s group marketing director Tristia Clarke, was appointed to the role of chief marketing officer for Best Buy Europe, a joint venture between the two companies.

It is the second major win for Lida, which is part of the M&C Saatchi group, in days. Last week it scooped Boots’ £15m Advantage Card business. It beat Proximity and Partners Andrews Aldridge. Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel had previously held the account, but has since been folded into Proximity.

Lida’s other recent wins include Butlins (MW.co.uk October 22) and East Midlands Trains.

Last month, Carphone Warehouse founder and chief executive Charles Dunstone outlined plans to spin off its broadband business Talk Talk.

Dunstone, who owns 32.6% of the group, is expected to remain on the board of both businesses if split goes ahead. However, due to the current economic climate, the move is not expected to go ahead until late next year or 2010.