Purplebricks has appointed former O2 brand director Ian Cafferky as its new chief marketing officer, replacing Ben Carter as he moves on to retailer Dunelm in the new year.
Cafferky, currently interim chief marketing and communications officer at SailGP, the sailing Grand Prix, will join the online estate agency at the beginning of February.
Cafferky, who was previously director of brand and marketing communications at O2 for five years, has been told that his remit will cover all aspects of marketing strategy and execution, focusing on continuing to build national brand fame as well as emphasising local relevance and Purplebricks’ digital-first approach.
Between 2010 and 2012, Cafferky was chief brand and commercial officer at Manchester City football club, coinciding with Abu Dhabi’s investment in the team. In this role, he led the club’s move into multimedia, recasting content commissioning, social media vision, fan segmentation and CRM to drive bottom line growth.
Explaining his decision to join the company, Cafferky commented: “I love working in fast-paced and dynamic environments. I have a deep understanding of business transformation, having started my career at Accenture, and combine this with my experience as a marketeer to make activity relevant, surprising and brilliant for customers. I look forward to drawing on both these skill sets as I join the amazing team at Purplebricks.”
Vic Darvey, Purplebricks CEO said, “We’re delighted that Ian will be joining the business in the new year. His combination of business transformation acumen and results-led marketing make him a great fit for Purplebricks.
“I also want to thank Ben Carter for the brilliant work he’s delivered, together with the whole marketing team, over the last fourteen months. We have the strongest brand in the industry and Ian has a great platform to build on.”
EYE NEWSFLASH: Marketing heavyweight Ben Carter quits Purplebricks
Comments (8)
I wonder whether he has read the Purplebricks and Purplebricks_CS twitter feeds?
Experience with SailGP, the sailing Grand Prix. Well that will come in handy as PB find themselves up sh*t creek without a paddle.
No industry experience – tick
No understanding of the housing market – tick
No signs that a career in property had ever beckoned to him before last week – tick
Vic’s bang on the money – “a great fit for Purplebricks” indeed. Couldn’t have found a better qualified candidate, in fact…
Marketing is easy if the product or people are right, however if there isn’t something to go on it’s hard to to find an angle to go at. There isn’t a message to simplify and made more easily understood.
The reality, the enormity of the task he faces will very quickly become apparent, the stuff that attracted him to the position is found to be like a reference for a tenant who’s ideal for one of your competitors properties.
I wish Ian well in his exciting new role.
Robert – I, too, wish him well. Let’s be realistic – he’s gonna need all the well-wishing in the world for the gig he’s taken on.
It is a reasonable assumption that he applied for it, as this is not a Government appointment. So if it goes all Pete, to a degree he has himself to blame. However, in reality the can for potential failure has to be carried by those that rubber-stamped the appointment. Like I have often said, my somewhat shaky hand and revulsion of the sight of blood wouldn’t necessarily stop me applying to be a brain surgeon, as I’m genuinely quite fascinated by the prospect of getting in there are doing some good. But if I was let loose in the operating theatre and subsequently lobotomised my first patient, surely some serious questions should be directed to whoever gave me the go-ahead.
Anyone can apply for a job. It’s the ultimate responsibility of the employer to ensure the right person is appointed for the job they are to be tasked with.
And accept responsibility if that choice wasn’t right.
One assumes that every new hire has been a “great fit.” Until they’re not.
Perhaps it’s time to appoint someone that will disrupt the infernal digital dash to nowhere?
It’s interesting how retailers probably think this industry is easy…
Yes – it worked very well for Alison Platt at Countrywide