Meat Promotion Wales Appoint The Agency to £3m Roster and Exclusive Welsh Lamb Brief

LONDON, May 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), the organisation responsible for the development, promotion and marketing of Welsh red meat, have appointed Bath-based integrated communications firm The Agency to a 12-month contract to help promote Welsh lamb across the UK. The appointment follows a three-way strategic and creative pitch that saw The Agency ward off stiff competition from established network agencies such as McCann Erickson and Golly Slater.

The win for the Welsh Lamb contract is the first live brief to be awarded since HCC reviewed their agency roster in early 2014. The three-year roster is estimated to be worth £3m, with the majority of the marketing budget being spent on promoting Welsh Lamb.

Funded primarily by the Welsh farming community, HCC also receive contributions from EU grants. Since their inception they have been instrumental in developing profitable markets for Welsh lamb, Welsh beef and pork from Wales. Many of their advertising campaigns and marketing initiatives have come to be seen as the gold standard in national meat promotion.

"We were delighted with the interest and effort put into the pitches by all the agencies invited, the standard was exceptionally high. However The Agency showed a unique level of commitment and insight into our market and everyday challenges. Strategically and creatively they demonstrated a coherent integrated approach to their campaigns that we all felt would work, and most importantly it puts the digital consumer at the heart of our communications," says Philippa Gill, Brand Marketing Officer, Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales.

"Being appointed to the roster was just the first step for us. The Welsh Lamb brief presents a unique marketing challenge, one that we feel very well equipped to tackle. We can't wait to apply some of our strategic thinking and creative ideas, particularly those in the digital media space. The HCC marketing team take a very collaborative approach and that mirrors how we like to work," says Saman Mansourpour, Managing Director, The Agency.

The Welsh Lamb win is the latest in a series of good news stories published about The Agency. Hot off the back of their Agency of the Year win at the 2013 Marketing Industry Network Awards, The Agency have announced a string of new client wins, nominations for eight Recommended Agency Register Awards to be announced in April, as well as finalists for two Drum Marketing Awards, including Advertising Agency of the Year.

"We had an incredible year in 2013, which saw our revenues increase by 35 percent. Our Agency of the Year award has certainly helped us raise our profile with key company decision makers, and it's hugely important to be recognised in our industry. But we'll never forget it's the expertise and commitment of our team that defines us and the passion we share with our clients that allows us to create award winning work," says Amy Stobie, Co-Founder, The Agency.

Note to editors:

The Agency is one of the UK's fastest growing integrated Planning, Creative, Technology and Media agencies, with offices in Bath and London. The company prides itself on simple commercial creativity - building brands and driving sales using ideas and technology that deliver across every customer touch-point. The company has considerable experience in the food and drink, automotive, retail, pharmaceutical, financial, FMCG and gaming sectors. Clients include The AA, BSM, Bristol Council, Devon Council, Eaglemoss Publishing, Startup Loans Company and Quintiles Pharmaceuticals.

SOURCE The Agency