The shortlist of four media agencies includes incumbent PHD, All Response Media and Mediaedge:cia. Media Week understands that the pitch has been delayed while the company assesses its marketing strategy in the light of activity from rivals Moneysupermarket.com and uSwitch.com.
The company has been under increasing pressure in the crowded marketplace, with rival uSwitch.com embarking on a high-profile TV campaign, planned by Starcom Direct and featuring an evangelical choir preaching to people about the merits of switching services.
The campaign forms part of an aggressive marketing strategy since its £210m buyout by US firm EW Scripps in March 2006.
At the same time, Money supermarket.com has expanded its offering to include travel, insurance, shopping and a community area on the site.
SimplySwitch specialises in price comparisons on products and services including energy, mortgages, broadband, mobile phones and credit cards. It was bought by Associated Newspapers for £22m in August 2006 and it sits in the publisher's digital arm, Associated Northcliffe Digital, which claims to reach more than 25% of all internet users.
Other properties in the group include a portfolio of Teletext sites and retail sites shopaholics.com, stuff4sale.co.uk and thinkmotors.com.
PHD, along with The Direct Response Television Centre, won the brief to handle SimplySwitch's media planning, media buying and "campaign evaluation services" in November 2005.
The site's account is the latest to be put up for grabs after financial service price comparison site Beatthatquote.com last week awarded its £8m media account to All Response Media (Media Week, 8 May, page 17).
SimplySwitch would not confirm that it has implemented a review of its agency relationships.
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