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Eurotunnel marketing chief Peter Stratton is quitting the company,

as marketing for the joint UK-French tunnel is moved entirely to

France.

Stratton, passenger marketing and sales director of Eurotunnel, leaves

this week to run his own recruitment company.

His departure signals a shake-up which will see Eurotunnel’s marketing

responsibilities, currently split between the UK and France, centralised

in Calais.

French marketing chief Eric Barrois is heading marketing for both

countries and sales will also be run out of France in future.

Jackie Keene, senior marketing manager and Stratton’s deputy, is leaving

at the end of April and those in other UK marketing roles will report to

Barrois.

The transfer to France, together with the abolition of duty-free last

summer, is likely to result in a review of Eurotunnel’s agency

arrangements.

Advertising for Eurotunnel’s cross-channel train services has been

handled on a project basis by Ogilvy & Mather since 1998 but, more

recently, Eurotunnel has focused on direct marketing and its loyalty

scheme, Points Plus, handled by Carlson.

Stratton said: ’There is 97% awareness of our services now and we are

not spending so much above the line. The focus in future will be on

increasing passenger interest in the destinations - but there is no

planned branding campaign.’

Stratton has bought Simpson Recruitment, a specialist in travel

marketing jobs.

Simpson Recruitment head-hunted Stratton 12 years ago for P&O European

Ferries, where he eventually became marketing director. He joined

Eurotunnel in May 1998 from Connex Rail, where he was commercial

director.

Eurotunnel’s latest results, for the year to December 31, showed

operating profits up to pounds 210m from pounds 184m the previous year,

although it still has underlying losses of pounds 139m and has still to

make a pre-tax profit.