Redundancies at Archant after reshuffle

EDP publisher Archant Norfolk has announced that 21 jobs are to go in its marketing services and newspaper sales department, after a strategic review.

"The economic environment we are facing is very challenging, but by making these changes we feel better able to respond to those challenges whilst still focusing on our ambitions of growing our newspaper sales, online audiences and profits," said managing director Stephan Phillips.

"We want to refocus our marketing efforts into growing audiences for our advertisers. This involves selling more papers, helping to promote our branded and classified websites and building up our databases to help our ad sales teams become more successful.

"We will still be running lots of reader travel and competitions in our papers. We will also still be attending all the major events and shows across our region as well as organising and hosting our important awards."

Mr Phillips said that Archant was looking to recruit for five additional posts in the newspaper sales unit.

Retail sales activity in Norwich will be consolidated into the recently refurbished Prospect House head office in Rouen Road.

Reader travel, under new manager Jo Digby, and advertising can be booked at Prospect House, where papers, magazines, calendars and books are also sold.

The company's shop at Millennium Plain will close tomorrow.

Courtesy of EDP

21 August 2008