Peacock’s marketing department has recently gone through a restructuring, resulting in approximately 50 layoffs. The streamer’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Shannon Willett, outlined the changes in a memo to the staff. This restructuring has affected both senior- and junior-level employees at the NBCUniversal-backed platform.
Willett expressed that the new marketing structure aims to enable smarter working practices by bringing more expertise and strategy in-house and fostering collaboration across the team and with key partners. The layoffs are part of broader changes at NBCUniversal since the departure of former CEO Jeff Shell in the previous year.
The reorganization under Willett’s leadership is expected to create around 20 new positions as she puts her mark on the department. She joined the company in April 2022, bringing her experience from a previous role at Netflix.
In her memo to the staff, Willett shared the details of the evolved marketing structure and highlighted five core pillars that will have a direct impact on business strategy. These include Brand Creative and Marketing, Title Creative and Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Planning, Analysis and Performance Media, Growth and Lifecycle Marketing, and Publicity, Events, and Talent Engagement.
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Under the new structure, there will be new leadership roles to oversee some of these pillars, including the EVP of Brand Creative and Marketing and the SVP of Title Creative and Marketing. Additionally, a key focus will be on data-informed decisions and testing across the marketing organization, as well as performance media.
The Growth and Lifecycle Marketing team will lead the ongoing marketing efforts focused on subscriber acquisition, engagement, and retention. Publicity, Events, and Talent Engagement will continue to be essential drivers of Peacock’s overall brand and business.
Despite the layoffs, Willett announced plans to hire for key new roles, including at the senior level, to support the newly aligned team. She also addressed the transition by emphasizing the intention to share as much as possible about the changes, their impact on the employees, and the opportunities that lie ahead.
In an effort to provide more details about the new structure, Willett invited the staff to join a virtual Marketing all-hands meeting where she would delve into the changes. She concluded the memo with gratitude and an acknowledgment of the staff’s role in the future growth of Peacock.
The evolution of Peacock’s marketing structure represents the streamer’s commitment to adapt to the changing media landscape and capitalize on its growth trajectory. The emphasis on in-house expertise and collaboration points toward a strategic approach to drive the platform’s success in the competitive streaming market.
