Woolfenden joins Express in recovery bid

Paul Woolfenden, promotions director at the Telegraph Group, is to join Express Newspapers as marketing director.

He replaces Justin Jameson, who returns to a career in consultancy, and will report to Express Newspapers managing director Nicholas Rudd-Jones. He will be responsible for marketing The Express, The Express on Sunday and the Daily Star.

Rudd-Jones says: “Having halted The Express’ decline in sales, we are now ready to go on the offensive.”

This month the Express launches a four-week promotional game on Saturdays, offering readers the chance to win Virgin vouchers worth 5 to 5000.

The Virgin Mega Hot Ticchets Game starts on February 28, through sales promotion agency IMC.

Tokens will appear in the paper offering weekly promotions from Virgin, including savings on Virgin Holidays, Virgin Express flights and discounts at Virgin Megastores and West End theatre and dinner pachages.

The game will be supported with direct mail to 300,000 UK housholds and TV advertising.

Meanwhile, John Stroud, currenly IT director at Pearson Professional, has been appointed to the newly-created position of head of IT at Express Newspapers.

He will also be a member of the management group at Express Newspapers reporting diretly to Rudd-Jones.

See Media Analysis, page 16.