Green & Black's in strategy revamp as top marketer exits

Green & Black's is rolling out a fresh marketing strategy to 'aggressively' drive growth and has started a search for an agency to handle the initiative.

Green & Black's: new strategy
Green & Black's: new strategy
The process is being led by Green & Black's non-executive director, Mark Palmer, a former marketing director of the premium chocolate brand.

Palmer is heading the brand's marketing on an interim basis, as Marketing can reveal that Kellie Fernandes, head of global marketing, has left the business without a job to go to. The brand is seeking a replacement.

For the past 18 months, Green & Black's has worked with US agency Colangelo, which created its 'Pleasure on Earth' ads, but has now split from the outfit.

Palmer has started talks with UK agencies and expects to make an appointment by the autumn. 'The marketing team is based in London, so we could do with someone on the doorstep,' he added.

The ambition for the brand this year is 'aggressive growth', said Palmer, who expects a fresh creative strategy to be implemented once a global marketer and new agency are in place.

Despite the sale of Cadbury - Green & Black's owner - to Kraft earlier this year, the brand still operates autonomously.

In January, Green & Black's announced it would convert to 100% Fairtrade ingredients across its  range, which includes ice cream, biscuits, cereal bars, spread and hot chocolate, as well as the core chocolate bars.

Timeline

1991 Green & Black's launched by Craig Sams, founder of Whole Earth Foods. Its first product was a 70% cocoa bar.

1994 Rolled out Maya Gold, the UK's first Fairtrade-certified product.

2005 Acquired by Cadbury.

2009 Changed packaging to combat misconceptions that it made only dark chocolate.

2010 Kraft acquired Cadbury.

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