Pru kicks off direct marketing review

Financial services group Prudential is hunting for an agency to handle the direct marketing account for its UK pension business, which has over 7 million customers.
A number of agencies have been approached and are expected to be given a brief next week after submitting credentials. The work is currently handled in-house.
The review of the account – which is predominately direct mail-based – is being run out of the company’s procurement department.
A spokesman for Prudential said: “We are carrying out a review in accordance with best practice, and looking around the market to see if we can freshen up our marketing. We have spoken to a number of agencies.”
Having pioneered the concept of selling premiums though door-to-door agents, the “Man from the Pru” became common the face of the company’s advertising and marketing activity for decades (pictured).
The company has recently revived the concept – if not the advertising icon – and launched Prudential Financial Planning in January last year with a pilot scheme, targeting 200,000 clients.
Over the course of the year, the business grew from 20 to 129 advisers, and generated £21m of sales. It now has more than 200 people on the team.