PPHN starts afresh with Touch brand

After a year of constant staff upheavals, direct marketing agency PPHN is relaunching in July as Touch.

Only one of the original founders of PPHN, creative partner Ian Haworth, is still at the agency. Stewart Pearson, who co-founded the agency in 1989, was forced out in August last year and last month PPHN managing director Martin Wilding left after only seven months (MW May 5).

The main force behind the changes is managing partner Mark Fiddes, who took over from Wilding, and who only joined PPHN five months ago from HHCL & Partners.

Fiddes claims Touch is the “first purpose-built brand” in direct marketing. “It rejects media-defined strategy in favour of customer-led strategy – creating a new category that is neither above nor below the line.”

PPHN’s clients include Apple Computer, BSkyB, Brooke Bond, TSB and Care International.