Costa Coffee advertising team quits

Costa Coffee, the Whitbread-owned coffee shop chain, is without a marketing department following the departures of marketing director John Rogers and brand manager Helen Facey.

Rogers, who had been in the role less than a year (MW July 24, 2003), has left to join De Vere Hotels as marketing director. It is understood that Facey has joined drinks company Diageo in an undisclosed marketing role.

Costa has had some difficulty filling the marketing role since the departure of Laurie Morgan in August 2001. She left the chain to join restaurant and pub business Noble House Leisure. After a seven month search for a replacement, Costa finally appointed former WH Smith head of brand strategy Chris Sedgwick in April 2002.

Sedgwick was poached by BP to take over the role of UK retail marketing after just over a year in the role. His departure led to a reshuffle of the marketing department at Whitbread and Rogers, the marketing director at hotel chain Marriott, took over at Costa (MW July 24, 2003).

Costa has about 300 units nationwide and is the UK’s leading coffee shop chain. It has been expanding into concessions in retailers such as WH Smith in an effort to stay ahead of its rivals Starbucks and Café Nerro.

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