RJ Reynolds appoints UK marketing director
Tobacco company RJ Reynolds has appointed Nick Tilt, global marketing manager at Scotch whisky distillers William Grant & Sons, as UK marketing director.
Tilt, who has been responsible for the malt portfolio of premium brand Glenfiddich and The Balvenie at the family-owned firm for the past four years, replaces Kap Varma who left late last year (MW February 9 1996).
Tilt, who takes up his new position in November, will report to RJR Tobacco UK managing director Mike Steinle.
He will be responsible for
brands including More, Dickens & Grant, Dorchester and the company’s international brand, Camel.
Tilt has recently worked on
a global repositioning of Glenfiddich across Europe, Asia, the US and Australia.
Before joining William Grant, he spent five years with United
Distillers.
The RJ Reynolds UK operation is understood to have a marketing spend of about $4m (2.5m), with the premium-priced Camel taking the majority of this budget.
At the end of last year the company decided to withdraw the Camel Mild variant, which was being confused in consumers’ minds with Camel Lights.
Camel Lights was relaunched in redesigned blue packs supported by a 1.5m advertising campaign through McCann-Erickson earlier this year.
The company’s UK marketing department has seen some upheaval in the wake of Varma’s departure. Product manager Karen Ursell and marketing assistant Carol Ware are also moving to other jobs.
