Former News International director joins DADA

A FORMER sales and marketing director at the publishers of The Scottish Sun newspaper has been appointed a director at one of Scotland’s best-known marketing companies.

Allan MacCaskill, until recently at News International, has been taken on as commercial director at DADA.

Says the Glasgow-based company: “Allan has a long and successful track record in a number of senior marketing roles. Most recently he rose through the ranks at News International where he worked from 2006 to 2009. Initially based in Scotland, his success included taking the Scottish Sun to market leadership before being promoted to News International’s London Office where he had responsibility for The UK’s biggest selling newspapers, The Sun and The News of the World.”

He has previously held senior marketing roles at brewers, Scottish and Newcastle, in Edinburgh; Center Parcs Europe, in Rotterdam; and David Lloyd Leisure, in London.

DADA has evolved from a PR and events agency, established seven years ago, to a ‘full service integrated marketing company’ with valuable intellectual property, including itison.com, launched last year, with more than 25,000 members.

DADA Ventures division, launched two years ago, creates, owns and runs major events across Scotland. The next of these is GLAM in the City taking place between the 18th and 20th of this month, which will be the largest female consumer show ever staged in Scotland.

MacCaskill’s appointment had been embargoed until Sunday, but the news leaked out earlier today.

Says Oli Norman, DADA managing director: “Allan has an outstanding track record in the marketing and media environment and his skills and experience will, without doubt, make an invaluable contribution to DADA. The creation of the role of commercial director also heralds a new era for DADA: an era of expansion and diversification. Over the coming year, we plan a number of new initiatives which will enhance the way we deliver results and make our campaigns and projects even more powerful for clients and consumers alike.

“In times of economic cutbacks, the most successful businesses look to seize any new opportunities that are available. Allan’s appointment and our expansion plans at DADA are all part of our ambitions to do just that.”