NTL nabs Coke chief to lead sponsorship unit

Cable giant NTL has poached Coca-Cola’s head of sponsorship, Pippa

Dunn, to head up its own department as it increases its focus on

sponsorship as a key part of its marketing strategy.

The move coincides with the renewal of NTL’s sponsorship of Who Wants To

Be A Millionaire on ITV for two further series.

Dunn will be taking up her new role, with responsibility for NTL’s

pounds 10m sponsorship budget, on July 6, reporting to NTL’s group

marketing director, Mike Hounsell. She joined Coca-Cola in August 1995

and became head of sponsorship for all Coca-Cola GB brands in March

1999.

NTL will sponsor the next two series of ITV’s Who Wants To Be A

Millionaire, beginning in September and November. The company decided to

retain its sponsorship of the programme despite falling viewer figures

of the show, pointing out that 12.9 million households watched the last

series and spontaneous brand awareness for NTL jumped by 20%.

The company is involved in a number of sports sponsorship agreements

with Rangers FC, Celtic FC, Aston Villa FC, Newcastle United FC and

Middlesbrough FC, and expects to expand this area of marketing.

Dunn is the second Coca-Cola marketer to be lured to NTL. Bart Michels,

previously marketing manager on new brands at Coca-Cola, recently joined

the company as brand director.

Hounsell said: ’Our strategy is to continue to drive NTL’s brand

awareness and boost sales through the use of creative and innovative

sponsorships in line with our brand strategy.

This will be stepped up in the coming months following the appointments

of Bart and Pippa.’

This article was first published on Marketing