Butlins appoints interim marketer

Butlins has appointed Jim Forward as its interim sales and marketing director.

Forward, who recently led the project to build the first Butlins Shoreline hotel, is taking up the responsibilities handled by Ruth Connor, who is now on maternity leave.

He is a former Argos head of customer strategy and format development and also worked on corporate strategy at Sainsbury's.

Butlins' new £10m hotel is shaped like an ocean liner and is sited at the West Sussex resort.

It is part of the strategy to attract a more upmarket audience to the holiday resort and change perceptions of the brand.

The brand's traditional holiday park rival, Pontins, is also on the hunt for a head of marketing following the departure of Pali Badwal.

Butlins, owned by Bourne Leisure, handed its media planning and buying to PHD Compass last year and its advertising is handled by Mustoes.

It has adopted a strategy of focusing on children and their enjoyment of the holiday experience in recent campaigns.

By Branwell Johnson

Source: mad.co.uk

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