Daihatsu UK appoints marketer to chief role

Daihatsu UK marketing director Paul Tunnicliffe has been promoted to managing director of the Toyota-owned small car brand.

The promotion follows a reshuffle at IM Group Management, the UK importer for Daihatsu, Isuzu and Subaru. As part of the rejig, former BMW marketing director and Land Rover chief Peter Kinnaird has been appointed managing director for Subaru.

Tunnicliffe says he will not appoint a marketing director in the short term. Initially, he will continue to oversee Daihatsu’s above-the-line advertising, but will delegate other marketing responsibilities. The advertising account is held by Walsh Trott Chick Smith, appointed by Tunnicliffe three years ago (MW October 4, 2001).

Tunnicliffe rejoined Daihatsu in 2000 – after a six-year absence – taking the position of marketing director he held when he left. He was previously a marketing director at Alfa Romeo, before Fiat’s takeover of the brand’s UK operations in 1991.

Feather Brooksbank handles the media planning and buying for all IM Group’s imported brands. Subaru marketing director Jon Nealon is not affected by the reshuffle. Daihatsu will launch a replacement for its Sirion hatchback in March, followed by a new compact 4×4 Terios in 2006. In addition to its key Charade city car, it also markets the Copen, a diminutive sports car with a folding hard roof.

Former Daihatsu managing director Andrew Edmiston, son of IM Group’s owner, has been promoted to managing director of the group.