Travelodge loses marketing director

Travelodge, the budget hotel chain, has parted company with marketing director Daniel Heale less than six months after he joined the business. It is not thought he has a job to go to.

The chain has scrapped the marketing director role with Guy Parson, chief operating officer, taking back responsibility for the division. He handled marketing before Heale’s arrival.

A Travelodge spokeswoman says: “We have decided to revert back to the approach we had six months ago. Both parties decided that the proposed structure could not accommodate a marketing director.”

The hotel chain’s brand and product development manager Sarah Martin, and senior marketing manager Stephen Welham now both report to Parsons.

In September, Travelodge appointed 26London to its £1.2m lead strategic and creative digital account, as part of plans to develop its business in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

It also developed an online retail strategy and extended its brand with the launch of travel insurance products (MW September 20, 2007).

Heale, a former Camelot marketer, also made clear his aim to take the business further online – announcing that he wanted all bookings to be made via the Web.

Travelodge says it will continue to develop its Web presence and work with Doner Cardwell Hawkins, Media-edge and 26London.

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