John Ayling and Agenda 21 pick up Norfolkline Ferries

Independent media agency John Ayling and Associates and digital agency Agenda 21 have won the £2m media planning and buying account for Norfolkline Ferries.

The agency picked up the new business following a four way pitch process believed to involve incumbent TCS and two other undisclosed agencies.

Norfolkline ferries service routes between Dover and Dunkirk, Rosyth and Zeebrugge and Irish Sea crossings from Liverpool to both Belfast and Dublin and is part of the AP Møller - Maersk Group.

The agencies will be tasked with reducing Norfolkline's cost per acquisition and improving the brand awareness of the ferry operator.

Pete Robbins, co founder of Agenda 21, said the combination of Agenda 21 analytics and the way Agenda 21 works with JAA to optimise the combined effects of on and offline activity will make a "significant and measurable contribution" to Norfolkline's profitability.

Norfolkline Ferries' mission statement is to be a "leading, first class, multimodal short sea carrier" and the operator claims to carry over two million ferry passengers and more than 1.2 million quay-to-quay and door-to-door movements every year.

The appointment takes effect from January.

By Maisie McCab. Mediaweek.co.uk, 18 January 2010