New LG chief Warner unveils brand-building marketing tack

LG Electronics will shift its marketing strategy away from focusing on products to building the brand in the UK, according to new marketing director for UK and Ireland, Andrew Warner.

Warner, who took over the role earlier this month, says the company, which has previously used product-led ads, is moving into the “next phase” of its marketing. “It will be about building the brand in a coherent way,” he says.

In the past, LG has focused its advertising around key products, for example its flat screen TVs and mobile phones, such as the popular Chocolate phone.

Warner, who was previously global director of brand management at Sony Ericsson, says his challenge is to join the company at this point and help it gain the credibility it deserves. He says: “There is a gap between the quality of the product offering and the market share of its nearest rival.”

Warner says the company is “evaluating” its range of marketing messages across its products and across the world and will now focus on consistency. He will sit in the company’s Marketing Action Group, which represents all of the company’s markets.

At Sony, Warner was involved in repositioning the brand and the global launch of its new identity, and was a member of Sony Ericsson’s worldwide marketing leadership team.

LG appointed Bartle Bogle Hegarty to handle its £175m global account last December. It also works with Y&R, Publicis Modem and MindShare.