Orion unveils 'supercharged' communications revamp

Orion has reshaped its marketing and publicity teams to create a “supercharged” communications department.

It will be headed by communications director Maura Wilding with marketing director Lynsey Sutherland continuing to lead the marketing team, reporting into and working alongside Wilding to build the new team structure, while also leading on partnerships, brand author strategy and consumer insight.

Publicity director Leanne Oliver will take on increased responsibility and work alongside Wilding to lead publicity, whilst deputy marketing director Tom Noble is promoted to the newly created role of campaigns director with immediate effect, reporting to Wilding. He will build on this work driving digital strategy for communities, direct to consumer activity, as well delivering campaigns.

The changes also involve the recently arrived employees from Laurence King, bought by Hachette in September with the gift, trade and art publishing becoming an imprint of Orion Publishing Group under the LKP name. Charlotte Littlewood, Laurence King’s campaigns executive for gift, becomes campaigns manager to reflect her "outstanding" contribution to integrated publicity and marketing campaigns for gifts, puzzles and games. In addition, Lucy Cameron steps up to senior marketing executive shortly after winning a Book Marketing Society award for her work on Ian Rankin’s A Song for Dark Times.

Orion said the changes were partly encouraged by working throughout the challenges of lockdown over the past year. “In a move inspired by the experience of pivoting and adapting to challenges posed by Covid-19, anticipating further changes to the media landscape, and integrating recently acquired Laurence King, the united team will remain experts in their marketing and publicity roles, while focusing on turbo-charging innovation and consumer understanding to grow the team’s reputation as industry leaders," the publisher said. It noted: "Alongside four BMS [Book Marketing Society] awards in 2020 for the marketing team, Orion’s publicists scored the most PPC [Publishers Publicity Circle] nominations across all publishers for this year’s annual awards.”

Sarah Benton, deputy m.d. at Orion, said: “Uniting our fantastic marketing and publicity teams to create a supercharged communications team speaks to Orion’s laser focus on identifying audience, reaching consumers and ensuring that every story matters. We are all devoted to reaching the widest possible readers for our outstanding authors and books and I am so excited to see our team leading the charge under Maura’s energising new vision.”

Wilding said: “This is an incredibly exciting and invigorating time to be exploring and interrogating ways to reach readers. Our team, who are delivering outstanding and creative campaigns, are in the perfect position to take these vital next steps to truly integrate and continue innovating. It’s an honour and total pleasure to be on the Orion team working with the very best in the business.”

Wilding joined Orion in April 2019 where she spearheaded a restructure of the publicity team and was one of the new entries in last year's The Bookseller 150.