Weber Shandwick is shaking up and expanding its UK consumer practice, giving Rachel Friend the newly created role of senior MD, as well as appointing marketing veteran Andrew Marsden as an adviser.
Friend is tasked with aligning all consumer businesses at Weber Shandwick, comprising consumer, sports marketing, consumer technology, consumer health, digital consumer marketing, and the in-house production agency Creation.
Friend joined the agency in August 2010 and was previously head of consumer PR at Sainsbury's.
She has overseen the consumer and sports marketing team, delivering two Olympic campaigns and winning briefs from brands including Electrolux, Motorola, RDIO, Nespresso, Warburtons, and Young's.
In the US, Weber named Tim Fry chair of its global technology practice last week. The Interpublic Group firm also appointed Cori Ashford SVP in its global healthcare practice.
Additionally, the agency has appointed former Britvic CMO Marsden as non-executive director.
With 25 years of board experience at both Britvic and Unilever, and 35 years as a marketing director, Marsden is taking on an advisory role on Friend's newly created consumer marketing board.
The firm has also promoted Andrew Ager to creative director, Wayne Fick to art director, and Liz Wolstenholme to head of planning for UK consumer.
“In a transparent, 24/7 world, PR is one of the few marketing disciplines able to integrate complex messages to multiple audiences, whether they are media, consumers, influencers, or bloggers,” said Friend. “PR has the ability to create compelling stories and tell them in real time, shaping, reacting, and responding to conversations for brands.”
This article originally appeared on the website of PRWeek UK, the sister publication of PRWeek at Haymarket Media.
