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The three main candidates for London Mayor are marshalling their

forces this week to begin their election campaigns in earnest, with none

of the individuals opting to use advertising agencies.

Frank Dobson, Labour’s beleaguered candidate, is trying to demonstrate

his independence from Labour’s Millbank HQ by recruiting his own team,

including in-house marketing experts. A spokesman for Dobson said this

process was under way but no ad agency is on board.

Conservative candidate Steven Norris is to use a mix of press, posters

and direct mail to communicate his message of ’Action not politics’.

Norris’ marketing team is headed by campaign director Ceri Evans, former

creative director of Channel 4. Evans, with Norris’ chief press

secretary Justin Maclaren, will produce advertising in-house but will

hire a media buying agency to place ads.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat candidate, Susan Kramer, launched her

campaign several weeks ago. Her team has produced a postcard campaign to

support a publicity drive. Kramer’s team has no plans to hire an ad

agency.

±±¾©Èü³µpk10ing for the election, which takes place on May 4, has focused

mainly on internal party communications, as candidates have scrambled

for their party nominations.

London’s mayoral candidates have a maximum campaign budget of pounds

420,000 set by the government.

The government is refusing candidates a free mailshot to five million

voters, claiming it would cost pounds 15m. As Marketing went to press,

the House of Lords was challenging this.