Corporate
November 20, 2008
Warner Bros. Recruits Polly Cochrane To Oversee UK Marketing
(November 20, 2008 – London) - Warner Bros. UK (WBUK) today names Polly Cochrane as its new VP and Group Marketing Director. The appointment was made and announced by Josh Berger, President and Managing Director of WBUK, to whom she will report.
Cochrane joins WBUK in April 2009 from Channel 4 where she enjoyed a highly successful ten year marketing career, the last six of which were spent as the broadcaster’s Director of Marketing.
She will be responsible for establishing a “best in class” marketing function across all of WBUK’s operating divisions - WB Pictures International, Warner Home Video, WB International Television Distribution, WB Digital Distribution, WB Interactive Entertainment and WB Consumer Products.
This will assist WBUK to maximize profitability and ensure a consistency of strategy and communication through the life-cycles of its products. It will also help foster greater cross-divisional collaboration at an exciting time of media convergence and ever-changing consumer behaviours.
Cochrane will join the Executive Board of WBUK and be accountable to the UK managing directors and senior divisional management when her activities relate to their specific business units. She will manage a team of 44 marketing staff encompassing consumer & business-to-business marketing, media & planning, publicity & promotions, creative services and research.
Josh Berger today commented, “Polly is one of the most respected marketers of her generation with a proven track record of innovation and creativity that’s second to none. I’ve no doubt she will inspire our talented UK marketing group to even greater heights, and be a superb addition to WBUK’s senior management team.”
Cochrane’s tenure at Channel 4 saw her rise from Marketing Controller to Marketing Director where she transformed the function into an industry standard bearer. There she led the development of a distinctive yet coherent brand portfolio during a period of rapid diversification. This included the creation of some of the most recognizable and awarded marketing campaigns of recent times, and the successful launches of More4, E4, Film4 free to air, Channel 4+1 and 4oD.
Prior to Channel 4, she was Head of Advertising and Promotions for Channel 5. She started her career at advertising agency, WCRS. Outside work, the Cambridge and Insead-educated Cochrane is Chairman of Freeview and Non Executive Director for the Department for Communities and Local Government. # # #