Wasps recruits international marketeer

AN international marketing figure has been hired to join the senior management of Wasps rugby club and Coventry’s Ricoh Arena.

Rob Mitchell, who has 20 years of commercial and marketing experience working with a string of blue-chip organisations, has joined the team as Head of Marketing to lead and oversee all marketing activity across both businesses.

He has experience in leading brand, sponsorship, community, sales and activation programmes from a client, agency and rights holder perspective and has worked extensively in entertainment and sport.

He is currently a board director of the European Sponsorship Association and Brand Activation council member of the Direct Marketing Association, positions he will retain with his new role at the Ricoh Arena.

“This is a new role and offers unlimited possibilities and opportunities,” he said. “The Ricoh Arena and Wasps are both leading brands in their fields and by coming together it has created a great deal of potential for both businesses, individually and collectively.

“I will be looking to build the Wasps and Arena brands, their role in the community, our work with strategic partners, building membership and value for Wasps supporters, as well as driving our corporate business and entertainment offer.

“This is a very exciting place to work and we have a great team. There is constant activity, a wide variety of business and entertainment events and world-class sport. It is genuinely a unique business and a considerable asset to the West Midlands economy both in terms of the trade it attracts but also its international reputation.”

He has previously held roles at Sponsorium International, Leo Burnett Group, 888.com, AB InBev, Ketchum and BMRB International and has worked with brands such as McDonald’s, Nestlé, Heineken and Stella Artois working on sport, film, music and community projects.

Andy Gibb, Managing Director of the Ricoh Arena, said: “This is a key stage in the development of Wasps and the Ricoh Arena, and we are delighted to have Rob on board to help maximise the exciting possibilities which we believe are open to us.

“He has a great variety of experience in the areas in which we operate and will be key to helping drive the business forward.”

Successful NEC event for Connexica

STAFFORDSHIRE software company Connexica has successfully exhibited at the EHI Live event at the NEC.

It is the first time firm has exhibited at the show, which is the UK’s largest eHealth exhibition.

Connexica presented and demonstrated its main product, CXAIR, a business analytics tool.

CXAIR offers a search-powered data discovery solution which eliminates the need for computer programming knowledge. The software allows for a self-service approach and can be used by anyone who knows how to Google, which the firm said saved organisations both time and money on additional training.

Greg Richards, Connexica’s Sales and Marketing Director, said: “We are really pleased with the interest generated around CXAIR at EHI Live 2015 and enjoyed the opportunity to showcase the difference our product can make.”

RBH celebrates first two decades

RBH creative communications agency has launched a new look for itself – RBH BRANDSKATES – to mark its first 20 years in business.

The Meriden company, founded in 1995 by Tim Rees, Ian Bradley and Debra Hepburn, has also launched a social media campaign using #RBHTwenty to share memories, work and photos of the past two decades.

During its lifespan, the full service agency has amassed clients across the UK, spanning fashion, beauty, retail, leisure, automotive and B2B, including Zatchels, Wacoal, Colab, Jaguar Land Rover, Peugeot, Certsure and Higgs & Sons.

It has held the Wacoal account for more than ten years and helped lingerie brand Freya achieve CoolBrand status in 2013. In 2010, it launched its own online fashion platform, Young British Designers, to showcase emerging British fashion talent.

Highlights this year include creating new season lookbooks, managing photoshoots and developing a new ecommerce website for male fashion brand Duck and Cover, producing TV and radio adverts for Drayton Manor Theme Park and launching Grand Central Birmingham – having previously opened the Bullring Birmingham and Highcross Leicester.

Debra Hepburn, Managing Director, RBH said: “It has been a rollercoaster 20 years and I wouldn’t change it for the world. To survive as an independent agency we have taken risks and have been prepared to flex and change according to the industry and the needs of our clients.”