Marketers in Norwich Union cull

Norwich Union is to make up to 20 marketers redundant after closing its high street chain of shops, Hill House Hammond (HHH), with the loss of 1600 jobs.

The company claims it does not yet know if HHH’s sales, marketing and business development director Peter Barham will be found another role. HHH had a marketing budget of around &£6m and used Big Communication for advertising and CBLM for its media.

HHH’s insurance business will be transferred to Norwich Union Direct, its telephone and internet brand. The brokerage sold motor, home and travel insurance through 240 branches throughout the country and had 800,000 customers. But Norwich Union Insurance chief executive Patrick Snowball says people now prefer to shop for insurance by phone and internet rather than on the high street.

Norwich Union plans to offer around HHH 400 staff the chance to apply for other jobs within the group. However a spokeswoman says there are no plans to augment the marketing team for Norwich Union Insurance under marketing director John Kitson.

HHH was bought by Norwich Union in 1991.