O2 loses social media chief

O2’s head of social media and PR Alex Pearmain is set to leave the mobile operator after just over two years in the role.

O2

Pearmain, who created O2’s social media team, is departing at the end of the year to join communications agency Brands2Life in a director level role.

He will work with O2’s director of communications and reputation Nicola Green to find his replacement. The role may be tweaked slightly although the incumbent will likely have a similar remit.

Under Pearmain’s supervision, the O2 social media team has had to deal with two major crises this year: a data leak in January and a network outage in July.

O2 was widely praised for its quick response to the incidents on Twitter, Facebook and its own company blog.

Pearmain’s “swansong” social media effort will be to try to replicate the success of its Virtual Santa’s Grotto campaign last year, he told Marketing Week. Customers were invited to tweet a Christmas message to the O2 Twitter account, which was then read out by an actor playing “Santa” who recorded a YouTube video for users to share with friends and family.

At Brands2Life, Pearmain will be responsible for growing out the agency’s digital marketing offering in disciplines such as design and build of websites and apps, content creation and data analysis. The agency works with brands such as Groupon, John Lewis and Sony.

Click here to read a Q&A with Pearmain from February, where he talks Marketing Week through O2’s social media strategy.

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