Opodo, the Pan-European online travel portal has appointed Carat International as its digital media agency.

To date Carat have been responsible for all offline advertising in Opodo's three live markets: UK, Germany and France. They will now assume responsibility for all online media planning and buying as well as continuing to be responsible for all offline advertising.

Jenny Taylor, UK Country Manager for Opodo commented, "This move will further deepen the relationship between Opodo and Carat with a focus on integrated campaigns and increase effectiveness of spend. Carat have proven Pan-European experience and a track record of integrated campaigns using all forms of media. It is exactly this kind of experience which will help www.opodo.co.uk to continue its successful growth."

Opodo has worked with Outrider over the past nine months and has been satisfied with the results achieved. However, in a move to reduce the number of agencies and ensure tighter integration of offline and online campaigns, Opodo will work with Carat as its only media agency.

Leagas Delaney will continue to be the lead Pan-European creative agency and will work closely with Carat.

Notes to editors

About Opodo
Opodo is an online travel service created by nine of Europe's leading airlines - Aer Lingus, Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa and Amadeus. Opodo addresses the real needs of today's traveller by offering an unbiased and competitively priced online travel service for world travel, with access to flights from over 480 airlines, 30,000 hotel properties and a worldwide fleet of over 750,000 hire cars, as well as travel insurance.
Opodo will launch throughout Europe during 2002 and beyond.

Further information about Opodo is available at www.opodo.com

About Carat International

Carat International is a division of Carat, the world's largest independent media agency with more than $16 billion in worldwide billings. Carat has 106 offices located in 94 cities and 56 countries globally. Carat International is focused on delivering strategic communication services to global brands in addition to the management of all Carat's key international clients. These include Philips, adidas, BMW, Vodafone, SCA, opodo, Danone, Disney and Renault.

About Carat Interactive

Carat Interactive International is the central strategy and management unit coordinating Carat's international interactive relationships. These include SCA, Vodafone, Renault, MGM Mirage, BMW and Philips. Service offering includes total interactive communications planning, including media planning and buying, creative, brand tracking and awareness measurement, SEO, eCRM, affiliate marketing and ad serving. Carat Interactive has leading operations in all the key global markets and is Europe's number one interactive planning and buying network (Source: M&M Europe, June 2002)

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