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COI Communications has dropped agencies including CDP, TBWA/London

and Bates UK from its advertising roster as part of a shake-up of the

government's £295m communications business.

The COI is understood to have removed seven agencies and added six

following a selection process handled by CEO Carol Fisher and her

deputy, Peter Buchanan.

The dropped agencies are: TBWA/London, which handles the Labour Party's

ads; CDP; The Leith Agency; Golley Slater, which was hired by the Army

independently earlier this year to work on its regional marketing;

Cogent; Bates UK; and one unnamed outfit.

Bates, however, has been added to the sponsorship and direct marketing

rosters.

Only agencies on the roster are able to pitch for Whitehall advertising,

spend on which soared to a record £192m during the COI's last

financial year (Marketing, July 26).

Since the publication of the figures, the government has faced mounting

criticism about its adspend from opposition parties.

The arrivals on the ad roster are: Fallon, Mustoe Merriman Levy, Mother,

Publicis, Walsh Trott Chick Smith and Miles Calcraft Briginshaw

Duffy.

The COI would not comment on the dropped agencies, but Fisher said the

new roster reflects the COI's desire to use agencies hungry to work for

the government. "There is a huge advantage to our clients in having the

freshness new agencies bring."

Agencies retained on the roster include: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, M&C

Saatchi, D'Arcy, J Walter Thompson, Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper, WCRS, Ogilvy

& Mather and St Luke's.

The COI has also overhauled its DM, sponsorship and sales promotion,

telemarketing, response handling, PR and merchandising rosters. This

work makes up the majority of the government's communications spend

outside of advertising.

New agencies on the DM roster include: Publicis, Target, Lion and Craik

Jones Wat-son Mitchell Voelkel.