Ann Summers’ PR chief named

Lingerie and sex-aids chain Ann Summers has appointed Rebecca Cox

as PR head.

Cox, who is best known as the founder of The Think Tank Marketing, an

ideas agency for PR consultancies and in-house PROs, is returning to

full-time work having successfully battled cancer. During her 18-month

illness, she continued working part time at the Think Tank, which has

now been disbanded.

With three full-time staff reporting to her, Cox replaces Georga

Douglas, who returned to her native Australia five months ago.

Cox, whose full title is PR and brand executive, reports to sales

director Julie Harris. Her responsibilities include running the press

office, managing the corporate identity, promotion of chief executive

Jacqueline Gold as a celebrity, handling research on perceptions of the

purveyor of lingerie, naughty novelties and marital aids and crisis

management.

She said she had no plans to appoint an outside agency but that the

company was in the final stages of appointing an agent for Gold.

Ann Summers has 23 stores in the UK and opened one in Sydney last

week.

Three more are due to open in the UK and Ireland over the next

month.

The company also sells through self-employed party organisers, and has

recruited 7,500 women party planners.

Ann Summers positions itself as a fun, novelty, sexy company, in the

Carry On films vein of ribaldry. ’Our attitude is very tongue-in-

cheek,’ she said. But Cox will also work to position Ann Summers as a

fashion brand.

Cox founded the Think Tank in 1996 with Stephanie Maldeghem and Kirsty

Robinson, who both left the agency before it was wound up. Prior to

that, she worked in media, latterly on an interactive TV project, and in

marketing for magazines.