Marketing Restructure For Digital UK

The licence-fee funded body responsible for implementing the government’s digital switchover strategy, Digital UK, is to restructure its marketing department and has earmarked £20 million towards raising awareness amongst vulnerable groups around the country.

The restructure follows December’s announcement by culture secretary Tessa Jowell that £600 million would be ring-fenced to help over-75s, the blind and partially sighted and those with disabilities go digital.

This week’s restructure sees Digital UK’s marketing head, Jane Ostler, promoted to the new role of director of help scheme and housing.

Beth Thoren, former head of digital marketing at Freeview, and currently the Digital UK director of communications, will take responsibility for the general marketing campaign.

The £20 million advertising budget, which is to be spent across the switchover period from 2008 to 2012, is in addition to the £200 million currently being spent on advertising the forthcoming switchover to the public at large.

In November it was revealed that sales of digital televisions, set-top boxes and recorders have overtaken sales of analogue equipment for the first time, with Ford Ennals, chief executive of Digital UK, describing the numbers as a “landmark moment” in the UK’s transition to digital television (see Digital TV Sales Overtake Analogue For The First Time)

Digital UK: www.digitaluk.co.uk