Independent hives off marketing role

Independent Newspapers is outsourcing responsibility for its marketing operations to Freud Communications, following the departure of circulation and marketing director David Greene last week.



The publisher is splitting the previously combined role of circulation and marketing director, farming out marketing to Freud and promoting internal candidate Paul Little, Greene's former deputy, to the role of circulation director.

Little, who has been with the group for around 10 years, will handle some of the papers' marketing activities in the future, but it is not yet certain whether he will take on the combined role of marketing and circulation director in the long term.

The change comes against a backdrop of several management departures at Independent Newspapers. In addition to Greene, managing director Terry Grote is leaving in May, while Tristan Davies, editor of The Independent on Sunday, left the publisher in January.

Both papers have suffered declining circulations in recent months. The Independent's February circulation fell by 4.5% year on year, to 252,435, according to ABC figures, while its sister title dropped 4.8% year on year, to 228,012 copies.