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David Sneesby, the Consumers’ Association’s marketing director, has

left the organisation after almost three years.

Sneesby was responsible for the marketing of Which? magazine and its

spin-off products. He led the marketing effort for Which? Online and the

launch of its masthead television programme on Sky earlier this

year.

The CA said that Sneesby had left ’because he’d done all he wanted to do

here’, but a source close to the organisation suggested that there were

’significant differences in marketing style’.

Sneesby denied this: ’In many ways, I have achieved everything I set out

to do at the CA.’ He starts a new job in January.

The CA has no plans to replace Sneesby and commercial director Dave

Roberts will now oversee his marketing role.

Sneesby joined the CA from market research company Taylor Nelson, where

he was marketing director, to bolster the commercial success of the

organisation and to take it to a wider audience of consumers.

He worked on the launch of its home-shopping catalogue service, Value

Direct, and the CA’s move into selling cars. This was linked to the CA

campaign against ’Rip Off Britain’ and inflated car prices.

Sneesby, who also occupied senior marketing posts at National Magazine

Company and Woolworths, managed the CA’s agency relationships.

The CA spent pounds 2m on advertising in the past year (MMS) but is also

a high spender on below-the-line marketing, including inserts and direct

mail campaigns.

The CA’s direct marketing agencies are Claydon Heeley International and

WWAV Rapp Collins West.

MediaCom TMB and WWAV Rapp Collins Media handle the CA’s media planning

and buying.

Under director Sheila McKechnie, the CA has become more outspoken on

issues of social exclusion and has developed a hard campaigning

edge.

However, it also recognises the importance of its commercial operations

and is attempting to widen the appeal of the Which? brand with new

services and publications.