EasyJet marketer quits as airline prepares to rebrand

EasyJet chief marketer Mike Cooper is leaving the company just as the low-cost airline prepares for a rebranding and repositioning. He does not have a job to go to.

The departure of the commercial director comes at a time when the airline is facing a winter price war with low-cost rival Ryanair, alongside increased pressure from full-service carriers, which have revised their short-haul flights’ pricing structures.

A spokesman for easyJet says Cooper’s departure is “voluntary”. Cooper says that he tendered his resignation in February 2003, but was asked to stay at the low-cost carrier in order to see certain projects through to completion.

Cooper joined easyJet in 2000 from the Thomson Travel Group where he was e-commerce director. He is also a former marketer for ICI’s Dulux Paint Range (MW April 20, 2000).

He headed marketing at easyJet until the acquisition of British Airways’ subsidiary Go in May 2002, when responsibilities were handed to Go marketing director David Magliano (MW May 23, 2002).

When Magliano was moved to the position of director of strategic marketing in March 2003, Cooper once again assumed day-to-day marketing responsibilities (MW March 31, 2003).

Cooper oversaw the appointment of OMD as easyJet’s pan-European media agency and has been involved in developing the new positioning. A new strapline to replace easyJet’s long-standing “the Web’s favourite airline” is expected to be unveiled shortly.

EasyJet spent &£8.5m on advertising for the year to June (Nielsen Media Research).

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