Sky Business in marketer search

BSkyB is on the hunt for a head of marketing for its Sky Business division, which sells subscriptions to pubs, clubs, gyms and other non-residential locations. Current marketing head Charlotte Gray is emigrating.

The head of marketing reports to Iain Holden, commercial marketing director for BSkyB, who is also head of Sky Business. The role is primarily a business-to-business marketing one, but there is believed to be a significant marketing budget attached.

It is understood that the head of marketing will also be responsible for developing new products, including subscription-only services.

Sky Business was launched five years ago (MW August 19, 1999). In addition to the usual package of Sky programmes available to consumers, it also markets specialist services, including pub quizzes and a range of training programmes for pub and club staff.

Advertising for Sky Business’s channels is sold by the main Sky advertising department. According to a BSkyB spokesman, marketers can buy ad packages tailored according to outlets.

“That means they can take advantage of an out-of-home audience, perhaps one watching a sports event in a pub, and run ads for relevant products such as alcoholic drinks,” the spokesman says.

When Sky Business was launched it met with some hostility from media buyers who, in effect, until then had been able to reach consumers in pubs and clubs at no extra cost.