Direct and digital marketing will get up to £360m of the Government’s proposed four-year advertising budget, announced this week in a tender.

Four agencies will work on the direct marketing account (worth around £160m) while six will be appointed to handle the government’s £120m digital business. 

The communications framework will be divided into five categories: creative services (eg TV advertising and sponsorship); direct marketing; digital marketing; PR; and contact centre services. 

The Government Procurement Services, which has replaced COI in handling the Government’s advertising campaigns, has revealed that agencies will be expected to work across all government departments. 

This includes public bodies, arms-length bodies, as other well as public corporations – the BBC, Channel 4, the Met Office and Royal Mail. 

This is the first major framework to replace COI marketing and creative services contracts and is scheduled to last two years, with the chance to extend it for another two years.

Government departments and agencies will use the framework to seek out agencies for advertising campaigns.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “Last year, central government saved a staggering £390m from freezing all marketing spend except when operationally necessary, on top of the £400m we saved from this in 2010-11.

“We are now on the hunt for the best talent out there as we look to spend in a more strategic and coordinated way.”

The deadline for applications is 2pm, 19 September 2012.

Posted by

Smarayda Christoforou