Going Places is set to go places but marketing chief does not rule out a return to the regions
The imminent re-branding of the various arms of Airtours plc as Mytravel spells uncertainty for the northern marketing agencies employed by the Rochdale-based holiday giant.
This includes Clear Marketing, which handles the Going Places brand, and Connectpoint.
Clear, which has the £10m retail brief, is certain to lose the lion’s share of the account when it transfers to Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters for an initial bedding in period. However, marketing director Tim Marsden did hint that he wasn’t keen on leaving the account in the capital indefinitely. He explained, “DFGW has completed the creative solution for the change to Mytravel and we should be able to sign it off in June. There will be no more Going Places activity as the market is still subdued.”
He added, “Clear is still working with us, but we haven’t got them on a retainer from June/July. We are still looking to use them on an ad hoc basis though and we will review the situation next summer.”
Marsden also confirmed that Airtours (Holidays) had a new marketing director in Robin Parry, previously of Direct Holidays, and suggested that he would be keen to use a northern agency. This may help Connectpoint, which is retained on a project basis.