Colonial recruits Firth-McGuckin

Axed Henderson Investors’ marketing director Lindsay Firth-McGuckin has been appointed marketing director of start-up investment house Colonial Investments, a spin-off from the insurer Colonial. At Henderson, Firth-McGuckin instigated an ambitious 5m marketing and branding campaign in an attempt to transform a traditional City institution into a consumer-friendly brand. However, the group got cold feet and in September axed Firth-McGuckin along with the direct sales operation. She says that although plans for the new venture are in the initial stages, Colonial Investments will be mass-market and will speak to investors using language they can understand. She says: “I like the common-man approach.” Colonial’s Australian parent operates two investment brands in Australia, one mass-market and one which targets more sophisticated investors. Firth-McGuckin adds: “I will be able to draw on the expertise of Colonial in Australia, where it already has mass brands and a stakeholder pension.” Colonial Investments should open its doors to the public in 1999. A marketing budget has not yet been approved, but Firth-McGuckin says she will start talking to advertising agencies in the second half of this year. Before joining Henderson in 1995, Firth-McGuckin was marketing director at friendly society Liverpool Victoria.