etv media group has appointed Andy Thompson to the newly created role of Head of Business Development. In this new position, Andy will be working with brands and agencies to provide them with engaging video and digital marketing solutions.

 
Andy will begin his new role on 20th July 2009 and report to Andy Rogers, managing director, etv online. He will lead the current sales team, focused on selling the etv branded content and etv online propositions. James Penfold, etv’s Business Development Director, and Lyndsay Duthie, etv’s Head of Development, will concentrate their activities working with broadcasters and media owners including advertiser funded programming.

 

Prior to joining etv, Andy played a leading role in establishing the UK’s broadcast sponsorship market. Andy most recently was involved as a digital commercial consultant to Brandirector, a newly launched online marketplace for branded entertainment opportunities including sponsorship, brand integration and product placement.

 

Between 2006 and 2008, Andy held the role of Business Director, Client Services, at Red Bee Media, where he was responsible for account direction for the BBC, Virgin Media TV and UKTV. He instigated a cultural change within Red Bee from a BBC-centric company to a commercialised, client-focused business.

 

Andy worked at ITV for over twenty years rising to the role of Controller, Sponsorship and Branded Content. He shaped ITV’s sponsorship strategy and developed its first advertiser funded series. Having built ITV’s status as a market leader in sponsorship, Andy went on to create numerous online and interactive packages.

 

Some of Andy’s multi-million pound sponsorship deals include: Sainsbury’s sponsorship of ITV Drama Premieres, ITV movies packages for Motorola, Quality Street and Martini, the first and award-winning sponsorship of the ITV Christmas showcase as well as long-term sponsorship of The Bill with npower and The Co-operative.

 

Andy Rogers, managing director, etv online, said: “With an increasing number of agencies fighting over dwindling marketing budgets, it’s now more important than ever before to invest in the best people in the business to represent you. Andy’s unrivalled industry experience and extensive network of decision makers will bring etv’s range of services to an even wider market.”
Andy Thompson added: “This is a very exciting opportunity to grow the digital business for etv and to join a team for which I have a great deal of admiration and respect.”