Capital Unveils Newly Restructured Commercial Division
Capital Radio has today unveiled the blueprint for its new commercial division, which has been restructured to provide greater customer focus and more emphasis on selling the group’s portfolio of brands.
The move has been led by Capital’s recently appointed managing director of national sales in London, Linda Grant. It will see the formation of two separate group and brand sales divisions, which will be supported by a third commercial marketing strand.
As part of the restructure, Mike Hope-Milne, has been promoted from head of sponsorship and promotions to the position of brand sales director. The two remaining director-level posts of group sales director and commercial marketing director are yet to be filled.
The group sales division will sell airtime, sponsorship, promotions and interactive opportunities across Capital Radio’s entire portfolio of brands, stations and properties. Nick Hewat will retain his existing role as head of group sales and will report to the group sales director, along with a yet to be appointed head of sponsorship, promotions and interactive.
The brand sales department, under Mike Hope-Milne, will incorporate brand-led sales teams for Capital FM Network, Capital Gold Network, Century FM Network, Xfm Newslink and Hit 40 UK. Alison Finch is to be head of brand sales for Capital FM Network, NewsLink and Hit 40 UK and a head of brand sales for Choice FM, Xfm, Gold and Century is being sought internally.
The commercial marketing team will oversee research, external advertising, PR and promotions, as well as providing strategic sales support. Juliet Browse will continue in her role as head of commercial marketing and Oliver Rowe will stay on as head or research. A creative development director is currently being sought.
Commenting on the initiative, Grant said: “Within the ever more complex communications planning process it’s essential that agencies and advertisers are fully informed on the attributes, benefits and opportunities that individual brand environments can deliver. Media neutral planning can only be neutral if you truly understand your options either within brands or within various disciplines such as S&P and airtime.”
She added: “It’s a challenge for media owners to deliver a genuinely customer centric structure, one which offers ease of access and ease of buying with depth of knowledge and depth of delivery. I believe we have achieved that and with the team fully behind it we will go from strength to strength.”
The move follows a number of similar initiatives implemented by rival commercial radio groups to bring advertisers closer to the programme content of their stations.
In an initiative similar to Virgin Radio’s Access All Areas scheme, GWR’s sales house, Opus, recently restructured its local radio sponsorship and promotions division and launched new interactive show across its Mix network (see Opus Restructures Sponsorship And Promotions Division).
Capital Radio: 020 7766 6000 www.capitalradiogroup.co.uk
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