Penguin Random House’s restructuring of its Audience, Brand and Communications division will see the layoff of nine staff members and the creation of new roles and internal “agency”.

The publisher said it undertook a strategic restructuring to “strengthen its digital marketing capabilities and leverage the power of the Penguin brand” while responding to the rise of the online book community. Rebecca Sinclair will continue to lead the division in her new role of Chief Brand Officer, and her CEO will continue to report to Tom Weldon.

As PRH looks to grow and develop further skills in the digital marketing arena, it will also create “many new roles,” including analytics, programmatic media and digital channels, PRH said. These job openings will be posted on the company’s career website in the coming weeks.

Audiences, Brands and Communications will be renamed to ‘Brands’. The publisher said the division is “a core area of ​​expertise that will support and work closely with publishers to increase the discoverability of Penguin’s books and authors and build a future pipeline for readers.” “This transformation reflects and responds to changing market contexts, including changing consumer behavior and the growing influence of the online book community.”

The reorganized division will establish an in-house “agency” to support publishers with critical technical and creative skills throughout the publishing process to facilitate campaigns and strengthen author brands. These skills include consumer insights, marketing attribution, design, photography and event production, which the publisher said “allows for stronger coordination and more effective workflows.” It also develops a social impact agenda, including driving programs such as the Lit in Color campaign, Elementary Library Alliance and WriteNow, as well as supporting the company’s inclusion strategy.

PRH said: Whether that means raising awareness of new voices or exposing established authors to new and diverse audiences through branding.

“By developing essential skills and infrastructure in the digital marketing space, our team will be able to leverage first-party data to better understand consumers, better identify and anticipate their needs, and provide broader backgrounds. We aim to fulfill these through our catalog.”

Weldon said: They also want to enhance and optimize their digital marketing capabilities to sell more books and expand their reach as the move to online accelerates.

“Since joining the division in early 2021, Rebecca has already laid the groundwork to capitalize on this opportunity, including building a rapidly growing digital marketing team led by John Donovan. Over the past few years, she has also had a significant impact on shaping the brand we have today, from our social impact agenda to our company mission. I am thrilled to be leading the department, with the talented team behind her, who will give us the structure, tools, and critical brands to take advantage of the unique opportunities that digital marketing offers. I am convinced.”

Sinclair adds:

“We are fortunate to manage one of the publishing industry’s most beloved brands, and it will become increasingly important as consumers seek differentiation online. help maximize both the commercial and social capital of

“Changes of this magnitude can mean making difficult decisions and, sadly, will result in nine colleagues leaving the company. They will be missed. They depart with our best wishes and gratitude.”