Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited, parent company to Hotpoint, Indesit, Whirlpool and KitchenAid, announces the new appointment of Tim Buszka as Head of Brand and Digital, UK & Ireland. Additionally, Kimberley Garner has been promoted to the new position of Hotpoint Brand Manager, while Charmaine Warner, Whirlpool Brand Manager, takes on the additional role of Indesit Brand Manager too.
Tim Buszka joined Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited on 1st October from Whirlpool Corporation in the Benton Harbour, Michigan, USA, where he was Category Manager across all premium brands of built-in appliances. A long-standing employee of Whirlpool USA, Tim brings a tremendous breadth of experience, from a wide variety of marketing roles, to the UK subsidiary.
“The UK is an exciting juncture in my career where I can bring passion and add experience. With the unique dichotomy of brands that offer a healthy and strong value proposition, we have the benefit of attracting and engaging with over 70 per cent of UK consumers,” explains Tim.
Tim continues: “With the great team at Whirlpool UK, we will continue to build on the success of the brands and unlock their value proposition, whilst developing valuable relationships with our consumers.
“Furthermore, with the move of consumers purchasing online, we will work with our retail trade partners to create new and unique platforms, as well as introduce a multitude of innovative ways to make our products easily attainable, engaging with consumers to solve their problems, ushering in more visitors.”
Also announced, Kimberley Garner takes up the new position of Hotpoint Brand Manager. Kimberley has worked with the company for six years, beginning her journey in Digital Marketing. A promotion to Digital Marketing Manager in 2017 saw Kimberley take on the responsibility of the digital strategy for all Whirlpool UK brands. Kimberley managed all of the brand’s digital channels including their websites and social media. She created content for the channels and worked on branded campaigns, managing all digital aspects of campaign activation.
Now, as Hotpoint Brand Manager, Kimberley will use her experience to grow the brand’s consideration, purchase intent and awareness. “Hotpoint is a brand that cares and aims to make home life easier for consumers. It is important that we build on this and I look forward to bringing my digital experience, knowledge around how media works and understanding of campaigns to really push the Hotpoint brand forward,” says Kimberley.
Kimberley continues: “At Hotpoint, we’re constantly listening to insights and follow emerging trends to create home appliances that offer consumers the solutions they need at home. We aim to build on Hotpoint’s ethos to care through expanding our portfolio of appliances and running campaigns that have consumer needs at their heart. I hope to lean on my digital experience to really push our brand strategy in 2021 to ultimately grow the Hotpoint brand and create more opportunities for our retail trade partners.”
In February 2020, Charmaine Warner was appointed to Whirlpool Brand Manager. Following her success in this role, Charmaine is taking on the additional role of Indesit Brand Manager too. Charmaine has worked with the company since 2014, firstly as a National Account Manager, before taking on the role of Refrigeration Trade Marketing Manager. This role included being responsible for Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Indesit refrigeration, introducing new products and ranges, in addition to liaising with the brand teams to meet the company objectives.
Whilst working as Whirlpool Brand Manager, Charmaine has focused on the brand’s premium positioning in addition to building and maintaining retailer relationships, both major and independent. “A key focus for Whirlpool is to increase distribution and awareness of the brand and its innovative appliances,” explains Charmaine.
“Indesit is completely different to Whirlpool and I look forward to working with both brands, bringing them to the forefront of their target market. Indesit is an entry-level appliance manufacturer and we are focused on understanding the needs of our consumers on an emotional level. Indesit has an ‘always-on’ strategy, which is key for driving brand awareness. I aim to build on this to ensure that Indesit is always visible, taking advantage of the fantastic new products that are in the pipeline. We also have some exciting plans for the #DoItTogether campaign, which has been core of the Indesit brand for three years now,” says Charmaine.
Hugo Silva, Marketing Director, UK & Ireland says: “With the many on-going challenges ahead there has never been a more important time to excite and bring new and fresh ideas to the market. With the introduction of Tim to the marketing team, and with the promotions of Kimberley and Charmaine, this truly expands the opportunity to ensure continued success across all of our brands.”
