New marketing strategy at United Co-operatives

Patrick Allen, Head of Marketing at United Co-operatives

Patrick Allen, Head of Marketing at United Co-operatives, the UK’s most successful co-operative organisation, has been promoted to the Society’s management executive. At the same time Allen has introduced a new strategy with all the Rochdale-based Society’s marketing activities under his wing in a Corporate Marketing Department. The move represents a break with United’s tradition of separate marketing functions for each business.

Susan Beetlestone has been appointed General Manager Marketing, reporting to Allen, while retaining her marketing responsibility for Food, United largest business. Also now reporting to Allen are Ruth Evans, Marketing Manager – Travel Group, Matthew Ward, Marketing Manager- Sunwin Motor Group and Amanda Fryer, Marketing Co-ordinator, Health Care Group. 

Allen will oversee marketing activity for the Funeral Group for the foreseeable future and a new post of Marketing Manager, Corporate Affairs is being created to ensure that United’s extensive community and charity activities operate closely with the five major businesses.

Patrick Allen commented: “United now has a turnover of more than £2 billion and five highly successful businesses operating in diverse sectors. The time is now right to bring all marketing activity together, thus ensuring that United presents a common face to the world.

“We must make more use of cross marketing opportunities and the customer data that we have at our disposal. Above all, we must ensure that the experience that we provide for customers and potential customers continues to improve. Our success shows that we are doing a lot of things right. Corporate Marketing will play its part in increasing that success.”

Allen joined United in 2004 after a successful stint as a marketing consultant advising blue chip clients.