York takes new role to Reach retailers

Ian York, the former sales director at Premier Foods, has resurfaced at field marketing agency Reach in a newly developed role.

As a part-time director of the shopper marketing and contract sales specialist, the veteran salesman has been working three days a week helping to provide Reach with “the missing link” in its offer: developing a relationship with the retailers.

“Reach is the best field marketing agency in the UK, and has been extremely successful and innovative, but if it can support retailers, it can grow even faster, and I can help with that.

“Field marketing is a shopper marketing business. Reach have got the shopper insight and data systems that can grow brands.

And they’ve got some big customers, with Nestlé, Premier, Unilever, Colgate, EA Games and Vodafone. But they don’t have any contacts in the retail trade, and that’s the missing link.

“It’s obvious when you think about it: the link between the shoppers and their clients is the retailers. Reach has got the ability and the insights to support and help them. And with all the retailers looking at their cost base, and how they improve the point of purchase, Reach can help with insights, data and in-store expertise.”

York has been working with Reach since January, after standing down as group sales director of Premier Foods last autumn.

He has also taken on part-time consulting roles with Surya Foods and Grant Thornton, with further roles likely later in the year, said York.

“Coming out of Premier, I am having the best of times working with businesses that are in such exciting growth phases. It’s good to be able to use all my experience to help develop businesses.”