Direct Line Group pools DM brief

Direct Line Group – the company behind Churchill, Green Flag, Direct Line and Tracker – has pooled its £11m direct marketing business into MRM Meteorite.
The agency beat OgilvyOne to the business in a head-to-head pitch, while Kitcatt Nohr Digitas failed to get through from an earlier round.
MRM Meteorite will handle all direct activity across its brands, as well as promotional marketing and brand partnerships.
The account was previously split between Geronimo, which handled Direct Line and Tracker, and CHI & Partners, which handled Green Flag and Churchill.
It is MRM Meteorite’s second major account win since it was formed late last year when McCann acquired Meteorite and merged it with MRM. In January it picked up the Vauxhall DM business.
Direct Line Group – recently rebranded from RBS Insurance Group – is currently up for sale, with a number of private equity groups preparing to make bids.
The business, which is Britain’s biggest personal motor insurer by number of policies, is valued by analysts at about £4bn.
The company is currently owned by Royal Bank of Scotland, which is 82% state-controlled after a £45bn taxpayer bail-out at the height of the financial crisis. RBS has been ordered by European regulators either to sell or float the unit by 2013 – a direct punishment for taking state aid.
Earlier this year, RBS was forced to apologise after staff working for Direct Line and Churchill were found to have forged complaint files due to reviewed by the financial regulator. It was also slapped with a £2.17m fine.

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