First Choice shakes up its marketing

First Choice has restructured its marketing department in a reshuffle aimed at making the company more customer-focused.

First Choice Holidays, Flights, and Unijet have merged under the umbrella name of First Choice Holidays. The specialist businesses unit has become First Choice Independent Travel. First Choice Retail, encompassing retail sales, remains the company’s third division.

Although still headed by marketing director Mike Ryan, the new-look marketing structure includes divisions for package holidays and another for independent travellers.

Virginia Dick, former marketing director of Travel Choice, has been appointed head of high street retail marketing. Rachel Clayton, marketing manager for holiday hypermarkets, has been promoted to head of marketing for out-of-town retail.

Former First Choice product development manager Adam Jones will head the package travel division, and former Unijet general manager Helena Patrinos is to become head of the independent travel section.

Ryan says: “First Choice is seeking to improve the way it looks after different customers at every point of the business.

“In some cases one of our package customers could be travelling with our independent companies the following month.”