The Consumers’ Association has appointed Nick Gammage as its
director of communications, a new post at the head of a PR team which
has been restructured following redundancies earlier this year (PR Week,
3 April).
Gammage joins the association from telecoms industry regulator Oftel,
where he was communications director for two years. His brief covers
media relations, public affairs, corporate relations, consumer
education, policy development and legal affairs.
He reports to association director Sheila McKechnie and oversees a team
of six, of which all but press officer Nicky Lyons will be new
recruits.
Gammage’s department has been split into two distinct areas: product PR
- which covers Which? magazine and guides - and campaigns. This
structure reflects MacKechnie’s aim to raise the association’s profile
and make it a campaigning voice for consumers on a par with the
Confederation of British Industry.
The Consumers’ Association is keen to increase brand awareness of
Which?
and raise the profile of its campaigns such as lobbying for a Food
Standards Agency by 1999.
Gammage’s areas of responsibility were previously covered by the
association’s former seven-strong PR team, headed by Nicola Holgate, all
of whom were made redundant apart from Lyons.
As well as appointing Gammage, the association has so far filled two
vacancies: product PR manager Kathy Dipple and campaign media relations
manager Marcus Rand, who will respectively head the two divisions of the
communications operation.
Before working at Oftel, Gammage worked in the Government Information
and Communication Service where his most recent post was chief press
officer, forward planning and promotions, in the Department of Health.
Oftel is looking for his replacement.
