Used prestige SUV and 4×4 dealer Saxtons has announced the appointment of Marc Shelkin as marketing manager.
Shelkin has joined the Essex-based dealer from The Social Shop, which he founded, and is said to bring 17 years of marketing experience to his new role, with other previous employers including Maratopia and M&C Saatchi World.
He will be tasked with overseeing strategy for leads, web traffic, paid search, SEO, social media, content, PR, events and brand for Saxtons and its sister brands Forza Finance and WeBuyPrestigeCar, leading a marketing team of seven and reporting to the directors.
Ensure you always get AM insight. Make us a preferred source of news on Google.
His priorities for his first year in the job are said to include improving the dealer’s UK-wide brand awareness, lead conversions, data insight, social campaigns and web conversions.
Saxtons said Shelkin’s appointment followed a strong summer for sales and enquiries. It holds more than 1,000 cars in stock on a single site, selling to buyers across the UK, thousands of whom now complete their purchases online.
Nationwide marketing reach targeted
Shelkin said: “Saxtons has a scale that very few retailers can match. My job is to make sure buyers across the country know what is here and trust it.
“There is a lot to work with. The team already produces a huge amount of content, the stock is unlike anything else in the country, and the customer feedback is strong. The opportunity is in joining those things up so they work harder together.”
Danny Bryant, head of buying at Saxtons, said: “Marketing is how most customers meet us, long before they set foot on site. Marc understands how people research and buy prestige cars now, and he has a clear plan for how we show up at each step.
“We have grown quickly, and the marketing has to keep up with the size of the operation. Bringing in someone to lead it properly was the obvious next step.”