Times Media shakes up marketing division for customer loyalty plan

Times Media is overhauling its entire marketing division and culling a number of marketing promotional roles as it looks to switch emphasis to retaining its most loyal customers.

The move comes only five months after it appointed Katie Vanneck to the new role of sales and marketing director, after she defected from Telegraph Media Group (MW July 5).

The changes, which involve the creation of at least five new roles – including communities marketing manager, partnership marketing manager, head of customer fulfillment and marketing manager – are being driven through by Vanneck.

She says: “Traditionally we have been very bad at retaining and rewarding our most loyal customers. The switch is all about moving away from promotions.”

At least two promotional marketing roles are being dissolved as part of the shake-up, with further cuts across the department. The size of the marketing department, though, will remain the same, according to Vanneck. She adds that those marketers whose jobs have been dissolved will be encouraged to apply for the new roles.

Retaining loyal readers will be primarily driven through digital channels, which will be a focus of the reshaped department. Media experts have long called for newspapers to shift away from the promotional giveaways, which they believe undermine the brand of newspapers.

The Times, Times Media’s flagship daily paper, sold an average of 642,895 copies in November, a 2% fall on October and a 1.8% drop on September. The Sunday Times’ circulation fell 1% year-on-year to 1,274,000.

Times Media recently axed RKCR/Y&R from its £15m advertising account following Vanneck’s arrival. The account was handed to CHI & Partners without a pitch.