MediaVest scoops £7m MyTravel deal

Troubled tour operator MyTravel has appointed MediaVest Manchester to handle the &£7m media planning and buying of all its brands, including Going Places retail, Airtours, Aspro and Escapades.

The agency was appointed after the incumbent Zenith Optimedia was put on notice earlier this year. MediaVest Manchester recently helped to develop an integrated strategy for the launch of the Airtours Summer Sun 2004 brochure and My Travel’s cruise brand, Sun Cruise.

Earlier this month, the holiday company put former Sainsbury’s marketing director Kevin McCarten in charge of its brand strategy. The company also appointed managing director of low-cost airline MyTravelLite and former sales and marketing director of Ryanair, Tim Jeans, to become MyTravel Airways chief operating officer, responsible for charter and no-frills airlines (MW June 19).

MyTravel has recently been hit by a series of profit warnings and accounting scandals, which fuelled concerns about the business. As a result, the company embarked on a major restructure after heavy losses for the year ending September 2002. Interim figures for 2003 provided little relief, as operating losses trebled to &£563m. The company recently lowered its profit expectations for the second half of the year.

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