Press release: 1997-05-15: Sega axes Euro chief

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: www.marketingweek.com

Japanese games giant ditches European marketing director after decentralisation is implemented


Sega’s European marketing director Andy Mee has been axed by the Japanese-owned games company.

The flamboyant head of marketing has been made redundant as a result of the increasing decentralisation of the main European markets. As a result, the need for a central co-ordinating position has been reduced.

For the past 18 months three of the four main European territories, Germany, France and Spain, have been run by local distributors.

Only the UK, the remaining large European territory, is run directly by Sega personnel.

Sega Europe chief executive Malcolm Miller will oversee marketing activities across Europe, working with local partners. In Britain this will be UK marketing director Jo Bladen.

The company’s business development director Francesca D’Arcangeli will also run European merchandise licensing, which has become an increasingly important area for Sega.

Since 1992 Sega’s games character Sonic the Hedgehog has generated revenues of 250m.

A spokesman for Sega says: “We feel that we can make a lot more money from this activity. We will be pushing a lot more deals in this area.”

Last summer, Mee, who has been described as one of the industry’s most colourful characters, reacted to a Sony PlayStation price cut by saying: “Up yours Sony. We will be in the market long before you and we will be in it long after you get out.”

He has been with Sega for two years and was previously UK marketing director.