Labour to cut adspend in favour of direct sell.

Labour is to cut its spending on advertising at the next general election as part of a switch to 'personalised' campaigning through direct mail, e-mail and telephone contact.

The move emerged at this week's party conference, at which Tony Blair attempted to unite Labour ahead of the next election.

Matt Carter, the Labour general secretary, told the party conference in Brighton: 'The era of the one-size-fits-all campaign is over. Our strategy is now focused on the individualised, personalised, targeted campaign.'

Although no final decision has been taken on the ad budget Labour's agency, TBWA\London, will employ, it is likely to be less than the pounds 5 million the party spent on ads at the 2001 election.

Instead, Labour will spend much more heavily on direct mail, starting with a blitz of one million voters in marginal seats across the country this week. The letters were produced in-house and Labour has made no decision on whether to recruit a direct marketing agency before the election expected next May.

Labour has opened a ...