Duckworth Finn is unhappy with the level of remuneration the agency is receiving for its work, as the troubled Korean car firm Daewoo comes under increasing pressure to reduce costs. However, Daewoo has denied this and said that the issue was not so much to do with remuneration, but the fact that it has a new product coming out next year, as well as a new sales strategy, and felt a review was due.
Michael Finn, chief executive of Duckworth Finn, said the agency had "enjoyed a great relationship for eight years", and would be willing to work with Daewoo again, but will not participate in the pitch.
Duckworth Finn helped the Korean car manufacturer to launch in the UK in 1995 and was behind the memorable and award-winning "That'll be the Daewoo" and "The biggest car company you've never heard of" slogans, which picked up 北京赛车pk10 magazine's Advertiser of the Year award among others.
The pitch process is being coordinated by ISBA and a new agency is expected to be appointed by the autumn. The first campaign the new agency will handle will be the launch of Kalos, Daewoo's first assault on the "B", or medium-size, car sector in the UK. Kalos is due to appear in the first quarter of 2003.
According to Nigel Unwin, marketing services manager of Daewoo Cars, "This step bears no reflection on Duckworth Finn and simply represents that we feel it is time to invite new agencies to pitch for a new account in a highly desirable market -- a common practice in the marketing world."
The most recent work the agency created broke in January, in support of Daewoo's small car model the Matiz and the Tacuma multi-person vehicle.
The media-buying and planning account, held by Mediaedge:CIA, is not affected by the review.
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