Kellogg marketing director leaves by ‘mutual consent’

Kellogg marketing director Guy Longworth has left the cereal giant by “mutual consent” to pursue other interests. He will be replaced by Michael Allen, vice-president of ready-to-eat-cereals marketing in the US.

Longworth is best known for restoring Choco Krispies to their original name, Coco Pops, four years ago, after running a television ad asking consumers to vote for the name they preferred.

Longworth was promoted to marketing director in December 1999. He was formerly children’s marketing manager and UK media controller. He succeeded Mark Sims, who was promoted to commercial director before being made managing director of Kellogg Mediterranean. One source speculates that Longworth’s departure could be linked to the arrival of Paul Norman as managing director in February.

Longworth has brokered a number of sponsorship deals over the past year. In October, the company agreed a &£2m deal with Channel 4 to sponsor Countdown and in December the company signed up to sponsor the Rugby Football League’s Challenge Cup through its Nutri-Grain brand. Leo Burnett and J Walter Thompson share the advertising account.

Below-the-line agency Black Cat recently won a place on the Kellogg roster, with a brief to create a promotional campaign which will run on 6 million packs of Special K from the end of the month.