Ansdell sells off Brighter to Flynn

SIMON ELLERY 29-Jan-99

The Ansdell Group has sold its specialist travel PR firm Brighter PR, which handles airline Aer Lingus and business travel agency Carlson Wagonlit Travel, to Brighter managing director Debbie Flynn.

The Ansdell Group has sold its specialist travel PR firm Brighter

PR, which handles airline Aer Lingus and business travel agency Carlson

Wagonlit Travel, to Brighter managing director Debbie Flynn.

Flynn, who bought the company for an undisclosed sum this week and

becomes the sole owner, has been managing director since Brighter’s

launch by Ansdell in 1997.

Ansdell sold the agency, which has a team of seven and earns pounds

350,000 in fees each year, in order to concentrate on its core,

full-service agency brand Barclay Stratton.

A former British Airways stewardess, Flynn took her first job in PR when

she joined BA’s press office in 1986.

She left BA in 1991 and set up a PR division within advertising agency

Creative Communications.

The sale comes in the midst of mounting competition in the travel PR

sector, following the consolidation of a number of major companies such

as First Choice and Airtours.

PR opportunities have grown beyond simply the travel pages of the

national press, as TV programmes, such as Two Fat Ladies and other

series, are filmed abroad.

’The travel industry is undergoing enormous and rapid change and our aim

is to become a leading-edge travel PR agency keeping pace with the

industry,’ said Flynn.

Ansdell made the decision to sell the division following an eight-month

period of restructuring.

Barclay Stratton’s other clients include information directory publisher

Yellow Pages, optician Specsavers and the Jamaican Tourist Board.

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