Barclays hikes TV spend in refocus on products

LONDON - Barclays has pledged to increase the proportion of its marketing spend devoted to TV advertising in 2007, in a move that defies the current trend among advertisers to cut ad budgets.

The bank is planning to increase its £150m total marketing budget to develop its strategy of interacting with customers in a simpler way.

The company is likely to create TV work that promotes specific products to replace broader branding efforts. New campaigns for 2007, created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, will promote Barclays' 'straightforward' mortgage and insurance products.

Barclays brand and UK banking marketing director Jim Hytner said: 'Our TV activity this year has lifted response rates to direct mail and online activity.' Barclays will continue to spend on direct and digital marketing.

The high-street bank launched a strategy to simplify its consumer communications at the end of last year. Initiatives included replacing branch signs with 'plain English' alternatives, including renaming ATMs 'holes in the wall'. The activity was backed by a widely criticised 'Inventive spirit' TV campaign.

In recent months a raft of major companies have announced a move away from TV in favour of below-the-line activity.

Last week, Stella Artois brewer InBev parted company with BBH after shifting its budget into direct activity and sponsorship (Marketing, 18 October). Honda said in August that it would drop TV from its next campaign to boost its digital output, while in May, convenience chain Spar axed its TV work in favour of press and radio.

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