Pepsi Euro chief linked to ITV marketing role

ITV is understood to be in discussions about offering the job of marketing director to the man who turned Pepsi blue in the UK, Tim Davie.

ITV is likely to go back to the drawing board and start the search for a new marketing chief from scratch if the rumoured discussions with Davie, vice-president marketing and franchise for Pepsi across Europe, do not go anywhere.

It understood that Davie is ITV’s preferred candidate and was one of three final candidates, the others being from the telecoms and financial services sectors.

Davie oversaw the £200m blue relaunch of Pepsi in 1996 as UK marketing manager for Pepsi. The Pepsi relaunch attracted major publicity as a Concorde was painted blue. He has worked for PepsiCo for 11 years, having previously worked at Procter & Gamble on male toiletry brands.

But Davie says: “I am very happy where I am with PepsiCo.”

The role of marketing director at ITV has changed following the departure of Jim Hytner, who had responsibility for consumer and trade marketing. Hytner joined Barclays as its chief marketer. Director of customer relationship management at ITV Sales Justin Sampson now looks after trade marketing for the broadcaster.