TeleWest hires P&G boss Hobday

TeleWest has hired former Procter & Gamble executive David Hobday – a further example of a packaged goods marketer switching to a media company.

Hobday, who becomes director of customer marketing at the cable business, is the latest in a long line of traditional marketers appointed by organisations such as the BBC and ITV.

TeleWest chief executive Tony Illsley was previously head of crisp manufacturer Walkers Snack Foods.

Hobday is TeleWest’s second P&G recruit in a month, following the appointment of European marketing director for Pantene, Gavin Patterson, as director of marketing, telephony and the Net.

Aged 30, Hobday was most recently head of P&G’s marketing department for Sainsbury’s. Before that, he worked on laundry brands Bold and Ariel. He will report to TeleWest group marketing director Philip Jansen and manage a department that includes market research, customer strategy and relationship marketing.

Jansen says: “Hobday will ensure our customers understand what TeleWest broadband cable can do for them – whether it is simple, low telephone charges, digital television or high-speed Net access.”

Hobday says: “Telewest is employing state-of-the-art services for those who are hungry for new ways to communicate – use the Net and watch TV.”