GNER starts review of 5m ad account

Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) is reviewing its £5m integrated account as part of a statutory review. It is seeking a roster of agencies to work on the business.

The train operator has invited incumbent agency Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest, which has held the account since 2004, to repitch.

A GNER spokeswoman says it is looking for between five and eight agencies for above and below-the-line work on a project basis.

The review is being overseen by commercial director Michelle Drage who will be looking for details of previous strategic marketing campaign experience for branded retail, service or packaged goods clients, according to the tender document.

The review does not affect GNER’s media agency, BLM, which was appointed to handle the media planning and buying in March.

A reshuffle of senior management saw sales and marketing director Clare Field leave the company in September. The overhaul followed the retirement of chief executive Christopher Garnett.

The operator has been working to improve services on its trains and last month it rolled out wireless internet across its entire fleet of trains. Passengers on GNER’s 41 trains can access the internet and send and receive e-mail throughout the East Coast Main Line route.

GNER now operates the world’s biggest fleet of wireless internet equipped train carriages. The £3.2m project was completed seven months ahead of schedule.