Lastminute plumps for Julie Davidson

Online travel and leisure retailer lastminute.com has appointed former Levi’s marketer Julie Davidson as UK marketing director, in the midst of an advertising review across all its brands.

Lastminute.com is reviewing its advertising as part of a move to consolidate its £4m advertising and digital accounts (MW January 17).

This latest appointment also comes as the group reveals plans to increase its UK advertising budget and bolster its marketing following the departure of managing director Mark Jones after three years in the role (MW July 26, 2007).

The new marketing director, Davidson, who has also held senior marketing roles at L’Oréal and Cadbury Schweppes, will join the business early next month.

She will take over from interim marketing director Alistair Daly, who will work with Davidson through a “transition period” before leaving the company. Daly has held the role since April last year.

Davidson will assume responsibility for lastminute. com’s 35-strong UK marketing team. She will also develop local marketing plans across the group’s business-to-business and business-to-consu-mer brands: lastminute.com, Travelocity.co.uk, Holiday Autos and Medhotels.

She will report directly into lastminute.com’s managing director John Bevan and for sister brand Holiday Autos she will report to UK managing director Stuart Nassos.

At Levis Strauss, Davidson spent two years as marketing director UK & Ireland, overseeing a team of 19.

Before that she spent four years at L’Oréal UK as marketing director for the Garnier Maybelline range following 11 years at Cadbury Schweppes.

Manning Gottlieb OMD was handed the group’s pan-European media planning and buying business last year (MW October 4, 2007).

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