M&S head of Christmas to take on marketing role

Carol Stockhill, Marks & Spencer (M&S) head of Christmas, has extended her duties by taking on responsibility for planning and co-ordinating marketing activities.

Stockhill co-ordinated all promotional activity for the retailer last Christmas, which resulted in an 8.3 per cent sales hike in the run-up to the festive season. This was an improvement on the previous year, when the retailer saw group sales fall by 5.1 per cent.

The Christmas push was helped by a multi-million pound TV campaign – through Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R – starring Zoe Ball, Julian Clary, George Best, Hugh Laurie, and Olympic rowers Sir Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent.

In addition to continuing to co-ordinate M&S’s Christmas marketing, Stockhill takes on responsibility for the marketing previously overseen by Anna Joseph. Joseph has become UK and Ireland marketing director for Burger King.

Stockhill will report to the marketing director, once one has been appointed to replace Alan McWalters, who left earlier this year. Former BBC marketer Jane Frost has been linked with the role. In the interim Stockhill will report to acting marketing director Jude Bridge, who is responsible for the advertising.

M&S is re-inventing itself as a “lifestyle experience” and plans are in place to promote it as part of a luxury lifestyle using the line “luxury quality affordable to everyone”.