Capital Radio Group appoints commercial marketing boss

Capital Radio Group has appointed Universal Studio Networks sponsorship director Marian Peppers as head of commercial marketing. Her appointment is expected to complete a restructure of the marketing team.

Peppers will take charge of strategic business marketing for the Capital Group brands, which include 95.8 Capital FM, Xfm and Capital Gold. She will work across a number of departments to ensure an integrated approach to commercial marketing.

Peppers will report to commercial marketing director Gavin Miller, who joined Capital in August. Miller, a former group account director at Starcom Motive, took over the role from Linda Grant, who was promoted to commercial managing director in May last year (MW May 1, 2003).

The marketing restructure also saw the promotion of head of sponsorship and promotion Mike Hope-Milne to brand sales director (MW May 22, 2003) and group sales director Chris Bennett to commercial development director (MW April 28, 2003).

Miller is developing a commercial marketing and research strategy for the next year and this is likely to lead to the expansion of the company’s research team. Capital launched the research department, led by Oliver Rowe, last February (MW February 20, 2003).

At Universal Studio Networks, Peppers was responsible for developing key alliances between brands, including the Sci-Fi Channel.