Greene King appoints marketing chief

Greene King Brewing Company has appointed former PepsiCo marketer Dominic South as its marketing director.

Brian Blessed in Abbot Ale campaign
Brian Blessed in Abbot Ale campaign

South will be hoping to build on recent sales gains for the business, a division of parent company Greene King PLC.

Revenue earned from brands including Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen and Abbot Ale increased 4.3% to £97.9m in the 12 months to 2 May.

South is also likely to see an increased marketing budget to bolster Greene King’s portfolio.

The company has vowed to increase investment in its core Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen brands in a bid to become the “best branded beer company in England”.

Current marketing activity includes Greene King IPA’s ongoing sponsorship of England’s Rugby Union team, recent shirt deal with Nottingham Forest and advertising on the Dave TV channel featuring actor Brian Blessed (picture).

South replaces Fiona Hope who left the brewer earlier this year to lead the relaunch of SodaStream.

He joins from Lindt & Sprüngli where he spent two years as marketing controller. Prior to the chocolate maker, he was a senior brand manager at PepsiCo.