Labour man takes senior Express post
Express Newspapers has appointed a member of a Labour Party-supporting think-tank as marketing director.
Justin Jameson, currently an associate of consultancy firm Spectrum, is a member of the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) which was created by Clive Hollick, chief executive of United News & Media, owner of Express Newspapers.
He will report to Nicholas Rudd-Jones, Express Newspapers’ commercial director, who says the IPPR connection is coincidental and does not indicate any planned change in the Express’s right-wing positioning.
“The connection is with me,” says Rudd-Jones. “We worked together at management consultant Booz Allen & Hamilton and he is one of the brightest people I’ve ever come across.”
Jameson will start at Express Newspapers in March. However, he will sit in on the creative pitches for the newspaper group’s 10m-plus account and will contribute to the decision on which agency to choose.
Roster agencies Walsh Trott Chick Smith, D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles and Leo Burnett will pitch against Ogilvy & Mather, Lowe Howard-Spink and BMP DDB this week. Chris Powell, chief executive of BMP DDB which handles the Labour Party advertising account, is a non-executive director of United News & Media. A decision on which agency will be appointed is expected in early February.
Jameson has no experience in newspaper marketing, but has worked on strategic marketing for media companies while in management consultancy. He will oversee an expanded Express marketing department that now comprises 20 people.
