Stena Line appoints ex-Porsche marketer

Ferry service Stena Line has appointed former Porsche marketer Julia Fothergill to the newly created position of head of marketing for its southern and central Irish routes.

Fothergill, who will be based in the UK, left her position as marketing communications manager of Porsche last year to head the health division of Saga. She also worked in marketing communications at Honda.

Fothergill says Stena will be going back to basics by revamping its Compass Points loyalty scheme and looking at ways of rewarding business passengers. It will also be looking at closer links between the ferry operation and the company’s holiday arm.

Fothergill says: “We don’t have any real link-ups with our holiday operation, and this is something we will be looking into. Whether customers want a single night in a hotel or a holiday in a horse-drawn gypsy wagon, we can do it.”

Fothergill also plans a big marketing push for online booking.

“Only two per cent of our sales are online, while other travel groups make up to 90 per cent of their sales online. We are hoping to increase our Internet sales to 25 per cent over the next two years,” she says.

Fothergill says she has no plans at this stage to review agencies, despite reviewing the marketing strategies for the Irish routes.

The &£4m Stena Line advertising account was won by Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy last December after a three-way pitch against incumbent J Walter Thompson and two unnamed agencies.

At the same time, Total Media beat incumbent MindShare after pitching for the media business with Mustoe Merriman.

Fothergill will report to Stena Line sales and marketing director Tim Hayes.