Desmond parts company with new marketing director as Take5 and Happy launches loom

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 23-Feb-05, 11:00

LONDON - Northern & Shell's new group marketing director Tim Pemberton has departed after six weeks in the job, just as the company readies itself to launch two new magazines.

According to a Northern & Shell spokeswoman, Pemberton left last week by mutual and amicable agreement, and the company is now looking for a replacement.

In the meantime, the launches will be handled by Express Newspapers joint managing director Stan Myerson and the Northern & Shell marketing department.

Pemberton arrived just after the Express Newspapers media account was moved out of OMD UK and into MindShare without a pitch.

In the next few weeks, Northern & Shell is to spin weekly TV listings and gossip magazine Take5 out of the Sunday Express, before launching shopping monthly Happy in April. Happy is linked to the Express Shopping Channel.

The TV listings sector is experiencing a cover price war caused by IPC cutting the cover price of What's On TV from 45p to 35p. Bauer responded by cutting the price of TV Choice from 40p to 30p. This is believed to have delayed a rumoured move by Trinity Mirror to launch its first TV listings title.

Pemberton is not believed to have lined up another job. He joined Northern & Shell after several years on the media buying side, latterly as strategy director at Carat working on News International titles.

His appointment prompted doubts among some media figures as to whether he would fit into the aggressive environment at Richard Desmond's Northern & Shell.

The previous incumbent of the group marketing director positions was Roland Agambar, who left in October to return to News Group Newspapers as marketing director of The Sun and News of the World.

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