Butterkist relauncher goes it alone

Adrian Precious, the Cadbury Schweppes marketer responsible for relaunching Butterkist popcorn, has left the company to set up a marketing consultancy, Business Infinity.

Cadbury Schweppes brought in Precious, who has also worked for United Biscuits and Fox’s Biscuits, to create a consumer marketing department at its Yorkshire-based business unit, Monkhill Confectionery, and to relaunch Butterkist in 2001. He is not being replaced and his responsibilities have been taken on by brand manager Joanne Munns.

The Butterkist brand has been repositioned away from its traditional association with films towards the general snacking market. Two savoury flavours, salt and nacho cheese, have been launched to give the move substance, and the brand has been repackaged in square-shaped packs for sharing.

Business Infinity’s clients include internet-based social and dating network EveryonesConnected.com and human resources consultancy DBM. Precious says that he decided to set up the consultancy because companies are increasingly outsourcing marketing in order to to cut costs.