ITV appoints three marketing directors

Sainsbury’s head of marketing operations and media Jenny Bullis, The Times head of marketing, Paul Gilshan and BBC Worldwide’s head of global marketing, sales and distribution, Adrian Last, are set to join the broadcaster in newly created roles.

ITV unveiled its five-year plan to transform the business in 2010. The strategy involves launching new digital channels, building a stronger international multiplatform content business and placing more focus on driving online revenues in a bid confront “challenges” such as audience and advertiser fragmentation.

Adam Crozier, ITV chief executive, said in November that the focus on delivering the Transformation Plan is now impacting positively on results, although the company has a “cautious” outlook for 2012 due to tougher comparatives on the previous year. The broadcaster grew revenues by 4% to £1.5bn in the first nine months of 2011.

Bullis, also formerly BT’s head of media, becomes director of media, overseeing ITV’s media planning team and managing on-air continuity operations.
Gilshan joins as director of commercial marketing and research, working closely with the commercial and sales teams to lead ITV’s business to business marketing.

Last will become director of marketing at ITV Studios, the broadcaster’s production arm that creates programmes such as Downton Abbey. He will lead all marketing for the unit, including consumer, business to business and international activity.

The appointments bring the number of direct reports into group marketing and research director Rufus Radcliffe to eight and the entire marketing department to more than 130 staff.

ITV is expected to be due an advertising fillip this year, boosted by brands looking for exposure at the time of the London 2012 Olympics, and it is predicted to announce a £25m cost saving programme in February, according to financial services firm Morgan Stanley.