Red Bull appoints new UK marketing director as van Bockel departs

Red Bull has appointed a new UK marketing director after confirming that Huib van Bockel has left the company to start his own consulting agency.

Van Bockel, who has lead Red Bull marketing in the UK since May 2011, will be replaced by Pete Charles, who joined the company as UK head of brand in May. He will take on responsibility for all UK marketing and continue Red Bull’s content-focused approach.

A Red Bull spokesperson told Marketing Week: “Pete Charles has taken up the position of marketing director for Red Bull UK following Huib Van Bockel’s recent departure.”

Charles joined Red Bull in May from his role as marketing director for Walkers Crisps at PepsiCo.

During his nine years at the company he also held roles leading the Tropicano and Doritos brands, joining in 2005 as consumer insight manager.

Van Bockel departs

During his time at Red Bull UK, van Bockel oversaw campaigns such as the Red Bull Air Race at Ascot and the company’s partnership with Channel 4 to live-stream 31 gigs from inside the pods of the EDF Energy London Eye as part of the Red Bull Revolution in Sound.

Van Bockel has now moved on to run his own consultancy, The Social Brand.

He previously held the Red Bull marketing director post in his home country of Holland for four years, before which he founded the fashion brand Dr Finkelbaum and worked at Unilever.

 

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