COI to brief shops on Mark Award

The Central Office of Information will this week brief four agencies about Prime Minister John Major’s “big idea” – the Charter Mark Awards.

The Charter Mark Awards are part of Major’s initiatives to improve all aspects of public service through the Citizen’s Charter.

The first awards under the scheme were presented last year and the recipients in- cluded libraries and ambulance services.

The COI has shortlisted GGT, Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters, Leagas Shafron Davis Ayer and Bainsfair Sharkey Trott to pitch for the business. The account was previously handled by Ogilvy & Mather who produced a ú250,000 launch campaign. It has declined to repitch.

Details of this year’s budget have not yet been revealed but it is understood that the COI is keen to boost the Charter Mark’s profile.

However, the issue is politically sensitive because the awards are so closely associated with Major and Conservative Party policy.