Forte bolsters its brand marketing

Forte is creating a new division to co-ordinate marketing across all its brands.

The division, called Corporate Products, will be run by Nick Silk, former head of market ing for the company’s restaur-ant brands, Distinctive and

Harvester.

Silk’s brief is to “maximise relationship marketing” across the whole organisation, which includes the Travelodge and Forte Crest brands and the international hotel chain Le Meridien.

He will conduct a review of the company’s interests. These include pulling together databases such as the Forte Gold Card base; the company’s marketing schemes for leisure cheques and bonds; its partnerships with airlines, which include Air France and Delta; and its Air Miles scheme.

“The purpose of the job is to make customers more loyal,” says Silk.

He also confirms that the Corporate Products department will advertise in the future.

Forte’s marketing and sales positions on the board were recently split between communications director Richard Power – whom Silk reports to – and Jackie Kernaghan, who was appointed director of worldwide sales three months ago.

The group is still looking for an overall marketing director.

– Marketing director of Forte Grand Iain Osborne is moving to a new position of senior vice president, European sales. Geoffrey Cheshire is joining from Europecar as senior vice president, UK sales.