at its customers, The Bermuda Telephone Co. Ltd. (BTC) has dumped its local advertising agency for a Canadian firm.

BTC yesterday announced it has appointed Toronto-based Communique Group to replace local advertising agency AAC, which held the account for about ten years.

Communique's responsibilities will include strategic planning, advertising, and corporate communications.

"As deregulation leads to more competition, it's imperative that we communicate effectively with all our customers and stakeholders,'' BTC's assistant vice-president of corporate communications Karla Lacey-Minors stated in a press release. "While Bermuda is going where it has never gone before, it makes sense to partner with those who have the expertise gained from travelling down this path before us.'' The Communique Group's clients include Microsoft Canada, Adidas, Toshiba of Canada and United Distillers. The owners of AAC were not immediately available for comment on the loss of the account.