John Paul Murphy, former marketing chief for Edinburgh’s Winter Festival has been appointed by publisher DC Thompson as its brands marketing manager.

Murphy, who previously marketing and brand manager for Napier University, has joined DC Thompson as it looks to build on the merchandising of its established cartoon characters, The Broons and Oor Wullie.

He has been tasked to deliver ‘a multiplatform, coordinated marketing approach’ which will focus on growing the size and reach of the publisher’s magazine and children’s entertainment brands. These include The Beano, The Dandy, The People’s Friend, Shout and Commando.

Murphy's key tasks will be to build integrated marketing plans which will raises awareness of the brand across consumer and trade markets, planning, creating and implementing integrated marketing communication campaigns to support brand objectives and work to identify key brand messages and priority audiences with stakeholders.

He will also develop partnerships to increase direct share through brand awareness and integrity, and work with colleagues in consumer insight to create key brand messages and identify opportunities to grow the business.

"It would be fair to say that DC Thomson as a company is evolving from being a traditional publisher into a multimedia organisation. While its publishing brands, such as The Broons, Beano, Dandy, Commando, Shout and The People’s Friend are some of the most admired and best known in their respective markets, my appointment is one part of concerted effort to convert these brands undoubted potential into new and increased revenue streams," explained Murphy.

"This will be achieved by more effective brand management and marketing, utilising all relevant channels available to us – traditional publishing, digital, events, sponsorship, promotions, advertising and licensing where appropriate," he added.