Assuming the new position of chief technology, marketing and data officer, Given is passing on responsibility for the retailer’s sustainability agenda.
Sainsbury’s CMO Mark Given is being given operating board responsibility for technology alongside marketing and data, in the latest update to the retailer’s top marketing role.
Coming into effect on 1 September, Given’s new position of chief technology, marketing and data officer “reflects the strategic importance of technology and AI in delivering outstanding customer experience”, the supermarket states.
Incoming chief technology officer Rob Barnes, who joins Sainsbury’s in early October from Asda, will report into Given.
The change will see sustainability removed from Given’s remit, despite only being added in February. Current chief commercial officer Rhian Bartlett will take on that responsibility in an expanded chief commercial and sustainability officer role.
In his new role, Given will look to use data and insight across marketing and retail media offering Nectar 360 to “better integrate capabilities”. Bringing tech closer to marketing and data is seen as a means to “drive maximum value by bringing together critical expertise in engineering, AI, loyalty and customer engagement”.
Sainsbury’s expands CMO role to oversee data and sustainability
This is alongside the wider mission to expand Sainsbury’s use of data from the Nectar loyalty scheme and drive personalisation of offers for customers. Nectar Prices are now available on more than 9,000 products, with over 1 million customers accessing personalised savings each week. The company is working to deliver 500 million personalised offers a week.
Chief executive Simon Roberts described Given’s new role as a sign Sainsbury’s is “building the momentum and the capabilities to move faster, serve customers better and unlock long-term growth”.
Given joined Sainsbury’s in 2013 as head of brand communications, following a series of senior roles at O2, Heineken and Procter & Gamble. He progressed to CMO in 2019, with responsibility for marketing across the Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu and Habitat brands, as well as Nectar.
Sainsbury’s is no stranger to restructures this year, with its ‘save and invest to win’ programme designed to deliver £1bn of operating cost savings leading to a central management reshuffle and loss of 3,000 jobs across the business in January.
Yet despite undergoing restructures, Sainsbury’s market share hit a nine-year high last month, with the supermarket crediting its customer service and price perceptions for driving the brand forward.
At the time, Roberts told Marketing Week the Next Level strategy to “make food joyful accessible and affordable for everyone, everyday” has driven a “clear purpose” in how the brand wants to “show up with and for customers”.
“The Sainsbury’s brand is more forward, it’s more visible and customers are resonating with both the content and the offer that we’re putting in front of them,” he added.
