Hovis marketing chief departs amid push to strengthen the brand
Hovis is on the hunt for a marketing director to help steer a £200m five-year investment programme for the brand after splitting with current brand chief Matt Hunt.
Hunt leaves the business at the end of the month to join Futureproof, a digital marketing agency he has been working with for the past year on the brand’s social media efforts. Hovis says his successor will be announced in due course.
The departure comes at a time of renewed optimism for the brand as it shapes a long-term strategy to recoup its leadership status from Warburtons, which it lost several years ago. Hovis is set for a multimillion windfall over the next few years after Premier Foods handed management of the bread over to brand venture capitalists Gores Group in April. Gores Group now has a 51 per cent slice of the bread brand, which is run as a joint venture between it and Premier.
Gores Group has vowed to deliver significant improvement in sales and profits within six to 12 months on the back of its investments, which are primarily aimed at boosting efficiencies to attract outside investment. The plan is helped by the £15m Premier is pumping into the first year of the baking division.
Hovis generated £655m in sales in 2013.
