Halifax reviews 35m DM brief

The Halifax is reviewing its direct marketing business worth about 35m. At the moment, the whole DM budget is handled by Bates Communications. The Halifax is known to want to increase the roster.

Halifax assistant general manager customer communications Mike Lavender says: “We have over 20 million customers and communicate with them in a variety of ways. We’ve been expanding our database and are poised to do more in this area.”

He adds that as the business grows it will be increasingly difficult for all work to be handled by one agency.

However, he stresses that the relationship with Bates Communications is not in danger. He also denies speculation that its 25m advertising account – currently with Bates Dorland – is under review, but admits the bank is always talking to other agencies.

Bates has worked on the account for eight years. But in July, the account director Penny Reid quit. She now works at GGT.

Halifax, which started trading as a bank in June, claims one in six adults is in some kind of contact with it.