Compaq lays off ten marketers
Compaq has made ten marketers redundant, including head of interactive marketing Lesley Mason, who does not have a job to go to.
The PC manufacturer, which has until now had a 100-strong marketing team, blamed the redundancies on the downturn in demand for IT equipment that began this year.
The redundancies are mainly among middle-ranging marketers. Marketing director Hugh Barton, who in July was promoted from planning and market development director, is unaffected.
The news comes as the company prepares to merge with Hewlett-Packard in a &£17bn deal that would see Compaq relegated to a sub-brand.
Over the past 18 months, the company has been looking to reduce its dependency on the PC market. Although 30 per cent of its UK business comes from PC sales, another 30 per cent lies in servicing: advising businesses on how to improve their IT systems. Revenue from the latter is expected to grow by 15 per cent year on year.
Banks Hoggins O’Shea/FCB is responsible for most of the Compaq’s advertising account, with Finex and Claydon Heeley Jones Mason handling direct marketing following a cull in July of the 14-strong direct marketing roster. In the same month, the &£100m European media account moved from OMD to Initiative Media.
