Viacom appoints first CMO to oversee rebranding of Channel 5
Kerry Taylor has been named the first chief marketing officer at Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), ahead of a creative rebranding of Channel 5 in the coming year.
Taylor has managed the network’s MTV brand in the UK for the past eight years, commissioning programmes such as Geordie Shore and Ex on the Beach which have driven double digit growth in average audience amongst 16-34s.
Prior to joining MTV, Taylor was director of marketing and on-air for Living TV, Bravo, Challenge and Trouble at Virgin Media and has also worked at the BBC and for Star TV in Hong Kong.
She reports to David Lynn, president of VIMN UK, Australia and Central and Eastern Europe and will oversee the rebrand as well as the marketing of 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.
Local brand marketing teams will report to Taylor.
Supporting Taylor in the role will be Jo Bacon, MTV UK’s vice president of marketing and communications, who will take on additional responsibility for marketing at Channel 5, and lead the planning and execution of the rebrand.
Lynn 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.”
The rebrand follows the completion of VIMN’s takeover of Channel 5 and is scheduled to be delivered by the end of the year. Joint London has been retained as strategic agency for the rebranding campaign.