US computer firm Digital Equipment Corporation has appointed Martin
Brophy as its first director of marketing and communications in the UK
and Ireland.
Brophy will take overall responsibility for all Digital’s marketing and
PR in the region, Digital’s largest market outside the US.
He has already called a review of Digital’s internal and external PR
arrangements. This includes the UK role of Digital’s global PR agency
Shandwick.
Brophy has been with Digital for 13 years, most recently as general
manager of Digital’s PC division. His appointment coincides with the
departure of Simon Jacobson, Digital’s director of communications, who
is leaving to join a rival hi-tech company.
Jacobson joined Digital last January as a board level communications
director but occupies a less senior role than Brophy.
’I’m responsible for the integration of our whole marketing strategy,’
said Brophy. ’We should be applying a consistent message across all our
marketing disciplines.
Brophy will hire a replacement for Jacobson to work under him
co-ordinating the communications team.
Brophy’s appointment is the latest move in Digital’s attempts to step up
its marketing and communications activity following the start last month
of a global advertising campaign through DDB Needham, New York.
Brophy said: ’Up until now our strategy has been very effective but
activity has been discreet.’
In January 1996 Digital consolidated most of its global PR into
Shandwick.
Prior to this it had also used Berkeley PR, The Weber Group Europe,
Arrow PR and Grant Butler Coomber.
Digital supplies networked systems, components, software and
services.
Earlier this year it restructured its eight units into three divisions:
internet and intranet development, Windows NT products, and high
performance computing. Sales for 1996 reached pounds 9 billion.
It has hatched deals with companies including Microsoft and Oracle to
link its hardware and services to other products. One alliance allows
Windows software to run on machines using Digital microprocessors.
