Cogent Elliott recruits for digital growth

TWO social media experts and a PR professional have joined integrated agency, Cogent Elliott, to support its digital services provision.

Harriet Rhodes joins as social media manager and Stephanie Mulrooney as social media specialist, boosting a thriving digital marketing team which has recently picked up digital marketing and social media projects from online travel retailer redspottedhanky.com.

An experienced social media professional, Ms Rhodes brings to Cogent her expertise gained from working at leading mobile retailer Phones 4u, where she worked as digital content editor, managing all its content and social marketing strategy for its national retail network and brand marketing.

Ms Mulrooney joins Cogent from her role as account manager for London-based We are Social, one of the UK’s leading specialist social media agencies.  She managed social media channels and content campaigns for clients such as F&F clothing at Tesco and Jacques Cider.

The final appointment sees Sheridan Okey joining the firm as PR account executive, part of the agency’s ongoing investment in this specialist area.  She joins Cogent from Connect where she helped develop effective campaigns for a range of clients including Persimmon Homes and Goodyear Dunlop.  

Mike Phillipson, Cogent Elliott’s CEO said: “We’re delighted to welcome Harriet, Stephanie and Sheridan into the Cogent fold.  Our digital team continues to go from strength to strength, and these latest appointments will significantly boost our social media capabilities and increase the range of skills and expertise available.”

Head of Comms appointment for 2 Sisters

BIRMINGHAM-based 2 Sisters Food Group has appointed ex-journalist Nick Murray, left, as its new Head of Communications.

2 Sisters is one of the fastest-growing businesses in the UK and is a major supplier of poultry and red meat to many supermarket chains. It also owns brands like Fox’s Biscuits and Goodfellas Pizza, following its £342m acquisition of Northern Foods in March 2011.

Murray will handle a full communications brief at group level, which includes investor and financial communications, PR, media, crisis and reputation management and internal communications.

Prior to joining 2 Sisters, Murray worked as a consultant at Oxford-based FSTE 250 Electrocomponents where he helped build its new global internal communications framework.

He has previously worked as Head of Internal Communications at Coventry-based retailer Lloydspharmacy  (2010-2012) and Communications Manager at Atherstone-based transport business TNT Express (2006-2010).

Murray, who lives near Leamington Spa, has a track record as a communications ‘fire-fighter’, dealing with communications following a fundamental restructure of the Lloydspharmacy business last year, which saw 200 redundancies from its Coventry HQ.

He also handled crisis communications following one of the biggest domestic news stories to hit the Labour Government in 2007 – TNT’s alleged loss of two HMRC computer discs containing all UK child benefit data.

He said: “I’m really excited about the prospect of making a difference at 2 Sisters. It’s grown massively by acquisition in the past few years and there’s some big challenges to tackle to ensure we build a strong corporate brand for both employees and external stakeholders.”

Murray takes over from Andrew Hanson, who has left the business after five years to join FSTE 250 Victrex as Group Head of Investor Relations & Communications.

Ghost spirits in new client services director

BURTON-upon-Trent-based full service design and marketing agency, We Are Ghost, has recruited a senior executive to its management team following a threefold increase in turnover and new business.

Tony Machin, left, has been appointed client services director for Ghost and brings with him over 25 years advertising and marketing experience from a variety of public sector, automotive, business to business and consumer clients.

Machin’s most recent role was as a regional marketing manager, where he worked on the Department of Health’s marketing programme for ‘Smokefree’, a campaign to reduce smoking prevalence across the country.

Machin has also worked for leading Midlands’ advertising agencies including campaigns for Land Rover and Jaguar.  

In his new role for Ghost, Machin will be responsible for existing client development and new business initiatives.

Formed in 2001, Ghost has grown into one of the region’s most respected agencies, attracting business from clients such as: Audi, Curver, Graco, Mercedes Benz, Master Lock, Pfizer and many other world leading brands.

David Agnew, We Are Ghost’s managing director, said: “The appointment of Tony to our team is a significant step for Ghost, especially with the experience and knowledge that he brings.  I am confident about our future despite the general economic outlook at present.”