Oxfam picks Lida for direct task

Oxfam has handed its direct and digital fundraising account to Lida following a three-way pitch led by the charity’s new marketing boss Tim Hunter.
The agency saw off Rapp and Atomic London for the account, which was previously held by WPN Chameleon.
Hunter joined the charity as director of fundraising in May after five years working at Unicef. He has also had spells at NSPCC and Shelter, having started his career at fundraising telemarketing company Pell & Bales in 1990.
Lida has been briefed to devise a new strategy as part of Oxfam’s plans to shift away from traditional forms of fundraising and increase engagement with donors. However, the agency has already started work on a new DRTV campaign, a staple discipline for the charity sector.
Lida has been building its charity accounts in recent months, having picked up work for the Alzheimer’s Society and National Trust to sit alongside existing clients Tourettes Action and the Miscarriage Association.
In 2013, Oxfam awarded its digital marketing account to Proximity London, following a four-way pitch against LBi and Kitcatt Nohr and M/Six. Proximity works on both donor acquisition and driving income growth from existing customers, using a range of digital channels, including social media.
The agency is unaffected by Lida’s appointment.
Hunter said: “Lida has proven to be a great fit with Oxfam. I was particularly impressed with the team’s passion, determination and insight.
“Lida quickly understood our fundraising challenges and got under the skin of our brand, and we look forward to working with an agency that can help us provide genuine step-change in the engagement of our supporters.”
Lida chairman and chief strategy officer Matthew Heath added: “We cannot wait to get started on helping Oxfam with their vital fund raising efforts. The team there shared our own ambition to challenge the conventions of charity advertising and find new, far more exciting ways to engage the great British public. We hope to encourage people to take action by creating a message that the charity can continue to promote in future years.”
In its most recent results – published in May – Oxfam revealed it had a surplus of £24m this financial year, thanks to fewer disasters, cost cutting measures and successful fundraising efforts. However, it has recently launched a major campaign to raise funds to tackle the Ebola outbreak.