Eurotunnel hunts agency for 8m pan-Euro brief

Cross-channel train operator Eurotunnel is looking for a media buying agency to handle its 8m account across the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and Holland.

Eurotunnel’s media buying has been handled by Carat in the UK for the past three years and the agency’s contract runs out at the end of March. In other European markets, the account is held by Optimum, whose contract expires at the end of the year.

A Eurotunnel spokeswoman says: “This is a process of reviewing existing contracts. Agencies will need to register their interest by next Monday and the first selection of agencies, fewer than ten, will be notified in early December. They will then be asked to submit a more detailed brief to Eurotunnel.

“The final decision will be made early in the new year.”

The company recently appointed Ogilvy & Mather as strategic communications adviser to its European business (MW August 20) – the first time a single agency had been appointed to work across its entire target European market.

Eurotunnel is under pressure to generate cash as a result of its 8bn debt mountain and also faces reductions in revenue when duty free is abolished, possibly as early as June next year.

Last year, the company spent 3m on advertising in the UK.

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