eBay raids Compare the Market for new UK marketing director
Online marketplace eBay has appointed Compare the Market marketer Gareth Jones as its new UK senior marketing director in preparation for a festive ad push.
Jones – who has over 20 years experience as a marketer at brands including the Royal Mail and Carphone Warehouse – will be joining from Compare the Market, where he was director of marketing strategy, planning and performance.
During his tenure at Compare The Market, Jones helped the brand launch its Meerkat Movies service – the replacement of Orange Wednesday’s 2 for 1 cinema deal.
“Gareth is a best in class marketer with a proven track record of developing strategies which flow across customer touch points and key platforms,” says Tanya Lawler, vice president of eBay’s UK business.
“He will play the lead in creating and delivering seasonally relevant, targeted marketing campaigns to the 18 million Brits who visit eBay.co.uk each month.”
Jones will be tasked with engaging customers as eBay prepares for the crucial Christmas trading period and aims to win over customers ahead of rivals such as Amazon Marketplace and etsy.
The UK arm of the brand has been without a marketing director since Sarah Calcott was promoted to senior director of operations last October.
The Jones appointment follows a similar change across the pond, with the US arm of eBay recently hiring digital advertising agency executive Suzy Deering to replace Richelle Parham as its chief marketing officer.
Last month, eBay split from its payments brand PayPal in a move which frees up both businesses to make their own acquisitions. Post-Pay Pal, eBay has already moved to streamline its apps in order to reduce clutter.
