Global Ethics recruits Ashley Stockwell to overhaul One brand

Global Ethics, owner of the One brand, has appointed former Virgin Media executive director of brand and marketing Ashley Stockwell to revamp the One brand and develop the business.

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One’s profits from sales of soft drinks, soap, condoms and loo roll fund good causes in Africa.

Stockwell will become global sales and marketing director ahead of One’s planned rebranding in April. He says that the ’One’ brand reminds him of Virgin’s challenger, ’start-up’ status, which he thrived on while working for Virgin’s businesses for more than 19 years.

And his marketing strategy will prioritise strong brand-building activity over focusing on the ethical causes.

“The aim is to maximise the profits that fund the causes in Africa,” says Stockwell. “But that can only happen by building a strong, credible brand that stands for something, that people can aspire to.

“It has to be more than just pulling on people’s heartstrings about doing good stuff in Africa.”

The new role sees him lead the development of the brand across existing manufactured products such as One water, as well as licensed products including One eggs, which will launch in April in a new joint venture with Noble Foods, the company behind the Happy Egg brand and G¸ puds.

But new product and service categories will be investigated for the One brand to extend into. “We’re in everyday basic essentials, which we can expand further into as a category,” says Stockwell, “but there are other opportunities. I’m looking at categories like financial services, where there is little existing brand loyalty, where we can come in and challenge – classic Virgin territory.”

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