Privilege hunts shop for direct business - DMBulletin - Direct Marketing news by Email - Brand Republic

Privilege hunts shop for direct business - DMBulletin - Direct Marketing news by Email - Brand Republic: "Privilege hunts shop for direct business
by Jeremy Lee Marketing 9 Jan 2007

Privilege: seeking direct agencyLONDON - Privilege, the Royal Bank of Scotland-owned insurance brand whose advertising features actress Joanna Lumley, is looking for a direct marketing agency to handle its account ahead of a planned increase in investment in the medium.
Privilege has already invited agencies to pitch for the brief and an announcement on the winner is expected later this month, according to a company spokesman.
The brand has used a number of direct marketing agencies in the past, but it now wants a single shop to handle the brief as it increases the volume of direct mail it sends, he added.
The spokesman would not say how much new investment would be going into direct marketing.
Last May, Privilege hired Joshua to create a series of direct mailings to support its M&C Saatchi-created TV advertising, which uses the strapline 'You don't have to be posh to be privileged'. Three months later, the insurer hired M&C Saatchi's sister interactive agency, Play, to create a digital marketing drive based on a competition for users who recommended the brand to their friends.
Last month RBS announced it would be increasing car insurance premiums across its brands in 2007. The move, which follows Norwich Union rate hikes of up to 40%, has led to fears that lower-priced rival insurers may follow suit and raise their premiums.
RBS, which also owns the Direct Line and Churchill brands, dominates the private motor insurance business with a 33.9% market share and gross written premiums totalling almost £3bn in May 2006, according to Mintel."