KERRY TAYLOR APPOINTED AS VIMN UK'S FIRST CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
MTV UK's Jo Bacon to lead Channel 5 rebrand reporting to Taylor
Tweet this: MTV's Kerry Taylor and Jo Bacon to oversee Channel 5 rebrand
London, 19th March 2015 – Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has appointed Kerry Taylor as the first ever Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for its operations managed out of the UK, with an immediate brief to oversee a creative rebranding of Channel 5 during the course of 2015.
The company has also confirmed the appointment of Jo Bacon, MTV UK's VP, Marketing and Communications, to take on additional responsibility for marketing at Channel 5, and lead the planning and execution of the rebrand reporting to Taylor.
Joint has been appointed as strategic agency for the rebrand of Channel 5.
Taylor and Bacon will work closely with Channel 5's Chief Operating Officer, Paul Dunthorne, and Programme Director, Ben Frow, on the rebrand, which follows the completion of VIMN's takeover of Channel 5 and is scheduled to be delivered by the end of the year. Channel 5 has performed strongly under its new ownership; it was the only major commercial free-to-air network to grow share of viewing amongst all individuals, 16-34s and ABC1s in 2014 and also year-to-date in 2015.
David Lynn, President of VIMN UK, Australia and Central and Eastern Europe, said: "Kerry is Viacom's outstanding UK-based marketer and her and Jo's appointment to oversee the rebrand of Channel 5 demonstrates how we're combining the best talent and assets of both businesses. Their task will be to capture changing perceptions about the brand amongst lighter viewers as Channel 5 continues to improve programme range and quality and its ratings performance under Ben's direction."
As Chief Marketing Officer for VIMN's pan-regional operations managed out of the UK, reporting to Lynn, Taylor will additionally have marketing oversight of VIMN's pay TV brands – Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Channel, Spike and BET – in more than 30 countries, including the UK and Ireland, Russia, Hungary and Australia.
About Kerry Taylor
As SVP, General Manager, MTV for VIMN UK, Kerry Taylor has successfully managed the evolution of the core MTV channel to offer a mix of music and general entertainment programming, while expanding MTV's bouquet of music channels.
As a result of changing its programming mix, the core MTV channel more than doubled its average audience amongst 16-34s in the UK between 2010 and 2014 and was named Entertainment Channel of the Year at the Broadcast Digital Awards in 2012. MTV UK's growth has been driven by an increasing number of original productions commissioned by Taylor and her team, including reality series, Geordie Shore and Ex on the Beach.
Under Taylor's stewardship, MTV's portfolio of music channels has also expanded and, in 2014, was the UK's most popular music broadcaster for the seventh year running.
Taylor first joined MTV's parent company, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), as Vice President, Marketing, Creative & Consumer Press for MTV UK & Ireland in September 2007. In this role, she successfully spearheaded the launch of entertainment channel VIVA on the Freeview platform, via a high profile marketing campaign ('Up Your Viva'). Prior to joining MTV, Taylor was Director, Marketing & On-Air for Living TV, Bravo, Challenge and Trouble at Virgin Media. During this time, she played a key role in repositioning Living TV, which resulted in the channel being awarded Broadcast Channel of the Year in 2006. She has also worked at the BBC and for Star TV in Hong Kong.
About Jo Bacon
Jo Bacon joined VIMN as VP, Marketing and Communications for MTV UK in January 2012 and has helped oversee one of the most successful periods in its history, with the core MTV channel more than doubling its average audience amongst 16-34s between 2010 and 2014. Bacon's MTV UK marketing team was named Best In-house Social Media team at the Social Media Communications Awards in 2013.
Prior to joining MTV UK, Bacon was Head of Content and Client Services Director at Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R between 2003 and 2011, where she led the multi award-winning BBC account as Business Director with responsibility for all pan-BBC marketing initiatives including the Olympics 2012 campaigns and the launch of the BBC iPlayer. She also ran global businesses including Bacardi and Virgin.
About VIMN
Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), is comprised of many of the world's most popular multimedia entertainment brands, including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Channel, Channel 5 in the UK, VH1, VIVA, COLORS, Spike, Game One and Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más. Viacom brands are seen globally in more than 3.2 billion households in approximately 170 territories and 40 languages via more than 200 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 550 digital media and mobile TV properties. Keep up with VIMN news by visiting the VIMN PR Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/VIMN_PR.
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