Marketers face chop at Royal Mail

Royal Mail has confirmed that marketing heads are on the block as part of plans to slash 1,600 managerial jobs in a £50m cost-cutting exercise.
A spokeswoman said marketers who hold managerial grade roles are likely to be affected but could not confirm the number who would lose their jobs.
Royal Mail’s marketing operation is spearheaded by the B2B unit MarketReach, set up nearly a decade ago as Royal Mail Media Centre, although the firm also employs marketers in the consumer division.
The MarketReach team has been through a number of changes following the appointment of a new managing director in 2012, former Aimia boss Jonathan Harman.
Marketing director Antony Miller has been the most high-profile casualty, while last month the unit revealed it had hired former Mindshare chief Diana Rhodes, ex-Aegis Media director Anthony Jones and promoted comms boss Kathryn McNamara.
The division is embarking on a major recruitment blitz for data experts to support its £70m investment in barcode technology. The scheme, dubbed Mailmark, is set to pave the way for what Harman has described as “Google Analytics for direct mail”.
These jobs are thought to be among the 300 “new or enhanced” roles Royal Mail said it is creating, meaning there will be an overall net reduction of 1,300 jobs.
Chief executive Moya Greene said: “We are continuously improving our efficiency, whilst maintaining our high quality of service. We need to do so in order to effectively compete in the letters and parcels markets. This is the best way to ensure the continued delivery of the universal service and the good quality jobs we provide for our people.”