Creative influence
Harlow based distributor Gem has promoted its marketing manager - Neil Handa (pictured) - to head-up Gem Creative, its dedicated creative agency.
Speaking exclusively to HEXUS.channel, Handa shared some background to the move. "Gem is more than just a distributor and we want to promote the value-added services we offer our partners - both vendors and retailers," he said. "Gem Creative is moving up in terms of prominence within Gem."
As well as acting as an in-house creative agency - handling all Gem's trade marketing and PR - Gem Creative also offers in-store marketing and point-of-sale assistance, such as designing and providing FSDUs (free standing display units). It also acts as a regular creative agency for vendors, doing things like media buying and ad design.
With so much invested in traditional, bricks-and-mortar retailing, we asked Handa about the health of that sector in these ever-more price sensitive times. "People still want to go to retail to touch and feel products," he said, stressing his optimism about the UK retail sector.
Handa will now report directly into Gem managing director Chris Peacock, who commented: "I am very happy to be appointing Neil as Head of Marketing. Neil has made significant contributions to Gem and its marketing over the years and his new position will allow us to engage new relationships with key vendors and customers as we grow the Gem Creative division."
