Scottish Media creates cross-platform team

Scottish Media Group is launching a cross-media sales team called SMG Access, to sell across all of its platforms. Virgin Radio commercial director Kathryn Jacob has been appointed as managing director of the new venture.

SMG Access will deal with sales packages across Grampian and Scottish TV, Virgin Radio, Pearl & Dean and outdoor business Primesight. Jacob will work alongside Malcolm MacMillan, formerly client services director and marketing director at Scottish TV, who becomes director of SMG Access.

Jacob says the decision to launch the initiative is in response to client demands for a function that allows campaigns to be planned across all four of the group’s platforms. She adds that the creation of SMG Access has been made easier by the sell-off of SMG’s newspaper interests to Newsquest Capital earlier this year.

The team will have offices in both London and Glasgow and will be supported by a research team. SMG Access will also be able to offer opportunities such as programme production, promotions and experiential marketing.

Jacob joined Virgin Radio in 1996 as sales director but also dealt with the station’s marketing until David Andrews was appointed as senior marketer in August (MW August 7). MacMillan, who has been client services and marketing director at Scottish TV for three years, has also held marketing roles at The Herald in Glasgow and DHL Worldwide Express.