IPC homes appoints client chief

Inside Communications' group sales manager Keiran Killeen is to head IPC Southbank Home and Garden group's new client sales unit.

Killeen will manage a team of six that will handle all direct client business.

According to group ad director Judith Daniels, around 30 per cent of the Home and Garden group's budget comes directly from clients. 'Our portfolio accounts for 45 per cent of the UK home and garden market but we need to improve our external profile and customer service,' said Daniels.

Apart from directly selling to existing clients, the team will also be engaged in targeting new business such as motors, finance, food and drink and telecoms - categories that don't typically make use of home and garden titles.

The Home and Garden sales team was split into agency sales and client sales following the recent appointment of former Prima ad director Daniels.

The agency sales team of seven is headed by Justin Manners.

'Previously, sales executives would be cold-calling a retailer one minute and then going to Carat to negotiate the LVMH business the next,' she said.

'The new structure provides a much more focused approach and, separating the different skill sets means the people will develop at a faster pace,' she added.

This article was first published on Media Business