Mars hires marketer to push confectionery sales
Mars has appointed Brigitte Brunner to replace Angus Porter as the top marketer on its sugar-based confectionery products across Europe.
As sugar business development director, she will hold the same responsibilities as Porter and will be charged with driving the profitable growth of Mars’ sugar brands.
Porter joined the telecommunications industry earlier this year as marketing director of BT UK markets, the division formed by the merger of BT’s consumer and business markets. He had been responsible for such sugar brands as Skittles and Starburst across Europe.
Brunner, who joined Mars from Unilever in 1997, has been responsible for the company’s adult food business in Germany while based in Verden. Brunner will relocate with her family to Porici in the Czech Republic, where Mars has a new factory.
A spokeswoman for Mars says: “Brunner will bring her marketing talents and energy into this challenge.”
According to Mintel, the UK sugar confectionery market was valued at more than &£1.6bn in 1997 and accounts for 36 per cent of the total confectionery market by volume and 31 per cent by value.
Mintel claims Mars UK’s share of value of that market dropped by 28.2 per cent down to four per cent (&£66m) across the period 1995 to 1997, with Starburst being the eighth top-selling sugar confectionery brand in 1997.
