Great Ormond Street Hospital begins 1.5m hunt for ad agency

The Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSHCC) is understood to be looking for a media agency to handle its £1.5m planning and buying business.

The charity is believed to have approached a number of agencies. It is thought to be boosting its marketing activities and fundraising initiatives (MW April 20, 2006).

It is not known if there is an incumbent media planning and buying agency, nor is it known who will be handling the pitch.

The charity has appointed its first dedicated marketing director Lesley Miles, a former Waterstone’s marketing director. She was made redundant from the bookseller in January last year.

GOSHCC is understood to have wanted a candidate with a traditional marketing background who would review all marketing initiatives once installed in their post, and explore further third-party licensing opportunities and developing the charity brand.

Traditionally, much of the hospital’s activity has relied on public relations and direct marketing, with both Arc Integrated Marketing and WWAV Rapp Collins London on the marketing services roster.

The charity last year appointed branding agency Enterprise IG to develop a name and visual identity for a donors’ club. It also hired River Publishing to redesign and relaunch its free magazine Lifeline. The title is sent to 140,000 supporters three times a year.

The hospital has recently launched a refurbishment campaign that has seen it appeal for donors to raise money to rebuild two-thirds of the hospital over the next ten years. The hospital is more than 150 years old, yet it manages to deal with more than 100,000 patients a year.