Body Shop marketing chief quits

The Body Shop’s head of marketing Sandra Pickering has quit after 18 months following the downgrading of her role in a company restructure.

The shake-up positions the head of marketing under new head of communications Marina Galanti, who joined the Body Shop from Benetton in April.

Pickering has overseen the new structure, which will integrate marketing into the product, retail and communications departments.

But future strategic branding will be handled by the company’s newly established brand council. This consists of representatives from product development, retail, communications, the Body Shop Direct and strategic development arms of the company.

Earlier this year, Pickering was responsible for appointing Bean Andrews Norways Cramphorn to handle the Body Shop’s first advertising campaign, to combat the launch of Virgin’s chain of cosmetics stores.

Virgin has already poached a number of the company’s design and marketing staff. The Body Shop campaign has yet to be unveiled.

The decision to run an ad campaign was a U-turn for The Body Shop founder and chief executive Anita Roddick, who has always criticised the use of advertising – though she did appear in an ad for American Express.