Confused.com hires PHD Media

Insurance comparison site Confused.com has handed its £38m media account to PHD Media after a three-way pitch against Walker and incumbent McCutcheon Norveil Consultancy (MNC).

The PHD win marks the first media agency change for the brand in six years since MNC took on the business. It follows the appointment of Farm as its first retained agency to handle its £25m advertising account last November, following nine years of in-house advertising creation since its launch.

The new agencies have been appointed to help build on the brands positioning as the original price comparison website, and to help communicate its expansion beyond car insurance.

The brand also recently appointed The Search Works to handle pay-per click and search marketing activity.

Price-comparison sites, including Moneysupermarket and Compare the Market have significantly increased their online ad budgets to exploit higher consumer interest sparked by the current economic downturn.