Sainsbury’s man held at Woollies

Sainsbury’s held a conference for its buyers last week to give them a chance to meet the chain’s new marketing director, Kevin McCarten, who starts in January. He was to answer their questions about new marketing initiatives for the chain, and prime them for the battle ahead.

Unfortunately, McCarten’s current employer, Woolworths, where he is trading director, was not prepared to let him leave its offices.

Instead, Woolworths agreed to let McCarten speak to the conference via a satellite link. “He sat there and answered questions on the television screen,” says one insider. “It was just like Mastermind.”

Let’s hope for Sainsbury’s sake, McCarten is an expert on his specialist subject – UK grocery marketing from 1996 onwards.

Recommended

Diana ‘more popular’ than the Lottery

Marketing Week

Britain’s royal soap opera topped the ratings on Monday night when 23 million viewers tuned in for Princess Diana’s interview on Panorama. The programme’s live overnight rating of 22.9 million viewers beat the BBC’s debut National Lottery programme, which had 20.17 million viewers in November last year. On ITV on Monday night Cracker started with […]

Euro campaigns earn credentials

Marketing Week

Much-lambasted pan-European advertising has come into its own. Its creative quality ensures a single ad can embrace several cultures without detracting from the brand, says John Shannon. John Shannon is president of Grey International.