BAT sets up Rothmans brand unit
British American Tobacco has set up a new International Brand Group to handle the Rothmans business, following completion of the &£13bn merger of the two companies this week.
The group, headed by former marketing director of Rothmans International Mark Hulit, has been set up as an interim measure until BAT has fully amalgamated the two businesses. Hulit will report to Jimmi Rembiszewski, BAT’s marketing director who, as first reported in Marketing Week , is to head marketing on a global basis in the enlarged company.
Former head of BAT’s International Brand Group Susan Ivey is to become vice-president of marketing for BAT-subsidiary Brown & Williamson in the US. She is being replaced by Mark Waterfield, who was BAT’s regional marketing manager for Asia-Pacific.
Rembiszewski is likely to review the agency arrangements of the group, which has a combined marketing budget of up to &£1bn.
BAT’s brands State Express, 555, Lucky Strike, Kent, Players and Pall Mall are handled by Bates Worldwide and Grey Advertising. Rothmans International uses Publicis to advertise Peter Stuyvesant, Ogilvy & Mather in South Africa and Saatchi & Saatchi for Winfield and Dunhill. Rothmans UK uses Saatchi for Winfield and Tequila Payne Stracey works on Rothmans Royals.
