Bezos steps down as Amazon CEO, replaced by Jassy
Amazon has announced that its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Bezos, will step down after 27 years. He will become Executive Chairman and be replaced as CEO by Andy Jassy in the third quarter of this year.

“Being the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility, and it’s consuming. When you have a responsibility like that, it’s hard to put attention on anything else,” said Bezos in a letter to Amazon employees. “As Exec Chair I will stay engaged in important Amazon initiatives but also have the time and energy I need to focus on the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, The Washington Post, and my other passions. I’ve never had more energy, and this isn’t about retiring. I’m super passionate about the impact I think these organizations can have.”

Jassy has been at Amazon since 1997 and founded Amazon Web Services (AWS), with a team of 57 people, in 2003. In 2016, he was promoted from Senior Vice President to CEO of AWS.

Reprise appoints Hawking as UK CEO
Chloe Hawking has been hired as UK & Ireland Chief Executive Officer for IPG Mediabrands’ performance media marketing agency, Reprise. She will join the agency in the coming months and report to Mediabrands UK & Ireland CEO Richard Morris, while also joining Reprise’s EMEA leadership team under EMEA President Jimmy Schougaard.

Hawking will arrive from PHD Global, where she held the role of Chief Digital Officer. In the past three years, she has been pivotal to PHD’s digital acceleration, working with clients including Volkswagen, Audi, HSBC, Bayer, Diageo, Porsche, and Hewlett Packard. Before PHD, she held a number of digital leadership roles across a number of media and digital agencies in the UK and Australia.

“I am thrilled to be joining Reprise and the wider Mediabrands group at such an exciting time. Reprise is perfectly positioned to help their clients grow through this era of digital disruption and eCommerce acceleration,” said Hawking. “Their breadth of capabilities across performance content, media and experience management are the keystone of a new age performance agency and one of the many reasons I am excited to join. I am looking forward to applying my experience in building innovative digital services, unified teams and growth solutions for clients in this new role. I can’t wait to work with the talented team across the UK and their impressive clients.”

Boone takes charge of HR at eBay
eBay has recruited Cornelius Boone as its Senior Vice President, Chief People Officer. He will be responsible for all aspects of human resources across the eCommerce company, driving business performance, talent development and acquisition, learning and development, compensation, benefits, HR shared services, and people tools and technologies.

Boone most recently oversaw the people functions for American Airlines Group, where he was responsible for expanding and improving the diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Before American Airlines, he was Vice President of Field Hourly Talent Management at Walmart.

“I am thrilled to join the eBay team,” said Boone. “eBay has one of the strongest, purpose-driven, cultures I’ve encountered and their desire and drive to create economic opportunity for all is truly an inspiration.”

Incubeta hires two to boost ad tech
Zoe Hall and Lauren Stearley have joined Incubeta, a digital marketing services group, as Managing Director of Adtech Solutions and Director of Programmatic respectively. Hall will drive technological innovation and advancement across the agency’s ad tech services, while Stearley will lead the expansion of Incubeta’s programmatic media offering including display, video, and connected TV.

Before joining Incubeta, Hall was instrumental in launching early-stage investment platform Antler, where she worked as Director of Marketing. Prior to this, she was Senior Expertise & Innovation Manager at Fifty-Five, where she expanded and led the analytics departments.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Incubeta and to have the opportunity to apply my expertise to boost the product development at Incubeta,” commented Hall. “The company has continued to grow and innovate during one of the most challenging times for businesses across the globe. I look forward to working with the entire team and being a part of an organization which is a pioneer in the integrated marketing space.”

Stearley arrives at Incubeta from Starcom, where she was Acquisition Marketing Lead. Here, she led on acquisition, while being responsible for developing and implementing strategy across search, social, and programmatic. Before Starcom, she held roles at MediaMath and Index Exchange.

“I’m excited to join a company which is growing so rapidly and providing such outstanding service to its clients,” Stearley added. “With my holistic understanding of the sell-side and buy-side, coupled with my knowledge of acquisition marketing, I’m looking forward to helping Incubeta take its programmatic offering to the next level.”

Sturgeon takes lead on brand and marketing ROI at Kantar
Insights and consulting firm Kantar has chosen Paul Sturgeon as its ROI Analytics Consulting Lead. Leading brand and marketing return on investment, he will support global and UK-based projects.

Sturgeon has 20 years’ experience in marketing analysis and consultancy and, until recently, led Mindshare UK’s data science team. Prior to that, he held senior roles at MediaCom and PwC. Sturgeon is also a member of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) Value of Media Committee.

“Paul is a fantastic addition to our team as we see increasing appetite among our clients for intelligent and focused guidance around ROI,” said Amy Cashman, CEO of the UK & Ireland Insights Division at Kantar. “Marketing budgets have been under pressure for some time, with COVID-19 accelerating that trend.  Now more than ever they need to make their investment go further, and be able to demonstrate to boards how vitally important their activity is for driving sustained brand growth.  Success will require a level of insight which can help them to pinpoint where they need to focus and build effective, creative campaigns that generate sales now, and create long-lasting consumer demand.”

Silverbean appoints Beeskow Blay to lead US expansion
Sarah Beeskow Blay has been named Vice President North America at Silverbean, an affiliate and partner marketing agency, as part of its expansion into the US. She will focus on building the agency’s business in the well-established US and Canadian market, as well as helping to hire the right talent and delivering an outstanding customer experience.

Beeskow Blay has extensive experience in the affiliate marketing sector having held previous leadership roles at Awin Global and ShareASale.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the stellar team at Silverbean. As global e-commerce continues to experience exponential growth, we’re seeing increased demand from brands in North American with a desire to expand their reach to new regions. I’m excited to be a part of the solution in providing these brands with an exceptional service option to further grow their marketing efforts,” said Beeskow Blay.

“Silverbean is in a class of its own with established footing and unparalleled reach across Europe and APAC to help brands achieve their partnership marketing goals.”

In addition to Beeskow Blay’s appointment, Louise James has been promoted from Head of Affiliate Marketing to Global Associate Director. She will work closely with Beeskow Blay and Silverbean Associate Director for Australia, Annabel Grey, to ensure clients have an integrated approach for their global strategy and implementation.

Clayton takes up solutions officer gig at Mindshare
WPP’s Mindshare USA has brought in Sean Clayton as Executive Director, Solutions Officer. He will be responsible for architecting new client solutions, integrating the best data, technology, and analytics products and capabilities across Mindshare, GroupM, and the wider WPP organisation.

Clayton brings more than 15 years of experience across data science, media, and consulting to this role. Most recently, he was the Co-founder of Myosin. Here, he led holistic data and targeting initiatives for a range of Fortune 500 brands across fintech, fitness, healthcare, retail, and eCommerce, as well as major distributors in the entertainment industry. Prior to that, he was Chief Strategy Officer and President of the Entertainment Division at SITO Mobile.

“Marketers cant ignore the rapid changes that our industry is going through, especially in the data and analytics space. There is just too much at stake,” said Clayton. “Im excited to join Mindshare because theyve shown that they will run towards the disruption, and push their clients and the industry to think ahead and work proactively.”

Born Social hires duo on back of management buyout
Hannah Wolff and Harry Fishwick have joined social media agency Born Social as Head of Social Media Management and Head of Creative respectively.

Wolff joins from Three UK, where she was lead creative in the social and PR team, while Fishwick arrives from his role as Video Marketing Manager at TUI. They join a team that includes Essi Nurminen and Kate Higham, who have been promoted to Head of Strategy and Head of Operations respectively, and Head of New Business and Marketing Ed Knights.

A management buyout has left Born Social’s six-strong leadership team with a 75 per cent share of the business. The company’s founders, Rob O’Donovan and Ben Gateley, will retain a 25 per cent stake but will no longer sit on the board.

“Since day one we’ve been a people-focused business and the creation of our Heads of team and internal leadership development programme allows us to continue along that path in a time where wellbeing and work satisfaction are being challenged by the ongoing pandemic” said Ben Tyson, CEO and Partner at Born Social “And this investment in building the next generation of leaders at Born Social is testament to the strength of our clients and teams. We now have an exceptional team in place to help drive the next phase of the business.”

Schmaier named President at Salesforce
Salesforce has selected David Schmaier as its President and Chief Product Officer. He will lead Salesforce’s global product team, strategy, and vision having joined the company through its acquisition of Vlocity.

Schmaier has over three decades of experience building cloud, CRM, and industry-specific vertical software companies as an executive, entrepreneur, board member, and investor.

“Salesforce is an incredible company,” said Schmaier. “I’ve been fortunate enough to experience this first-hand as a customer, a partner, and now a member of the team. I’ve been an admirer of Salesforce since the early days, and the things I admired then are still true now: we have the best products, we define the cloud and other technology shifts like mobile and AI, and we have a trailblazing leadership team, led by Marc [Benioff], whom I’ve known since early in my career.”

Colt turns to Voltolini on strategy
Mirko Voltolini has been named Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at telecoms firm Colt Technology Services. In the newly created role, he will seek to underpin the company’s product capabilities with innovation and the latest emerging technologies in order to ensure Colt remains an industry leader.

Voltolini was previously Head of Network On Demand at Colt – a role where he oversaw the development of the company’s on-demand platform and drove the development and delivery of its online digital customer experience offering. Voltolini also sits on the MEF board.

“I feel very privileged to be taking on this new role,” said Voltolini. “Seeing both Colt and the industry evolve and innovate has been something I have always been passionate about, and I feel this next period will be particularly exciting for our sector. The way Keri [Gilder] has structured our organisation primes us to be ready to assist enterprises as they prepare for their next wave of growth, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”  

Mistry joins Lab as CFO
Lab Group, a collection of digital marketing, technology, and creative services agencies, has appointed Amar Mistry as Group Chief Financial Officer. Reporting to CEO Jonny Tooze, he will be responsible for ensuring the business has good financial reporting and governance, assessing the financing needs of the business and looking at investment to support the growth plans and developing a new phase of the group’s agency acquisition strategy.

Mistry arrives from Myriad Global, where he supported the business globally with its continued growth, helped to secure new funding and assisted with the expansion of the executive team throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He has previously held positions at Vida Care, E2V, Brash Brands, and Konica Minolta.

“It’s safe to say that I am thrilled to be joining the business at such an exciting time,” said Mistry. “During a period where it would be easy to narrow focus and just survive it is inspiring to see a business with such intention and ambition. I have been really impressed with how the team have maintained humour and goodwill during challenging times, it really is a testament to the strength of the team. I very much look forward to bringing my expertise in financial management, financing and inorganic growth to the team.”

Glassbox names Zaheer CMO
Asim Zaheer has been hired as Chief Marketing Officer at Glassbox, a digital experience analytics provider. He will be responsible for expanding Glassbox’s commercial reach, penetrating new market verticals with the aim of doubling digital market share while also implementing a new brand and marketing strategy for the company.

Zaheer joins the company from Hitachi, where he served as CMO, helping to lead a multibillion-dollar portfolio of data infrastructure, analytics, cloud, and IoT solutions for Hitachi Vantara and Hitachi Data Systems. Before that, he held marketing leadership positions at companies including Archivas and Storability.

“I am thrilled to be joining a high-growth company that sits at the forefront of consumer experience innovations,” said Zaheer. “Glassbox is packed with talented individuals who are fundamentally changing how companies approach and interact with their customers, paving the way for a truly seamless customer experience. I cannot wait to contribute towards their mission and cement Glassbox’s position as leaders in a constantly evolving market.”

Ducker recruited to bolster Journey Further’s creative
Journey Further, a performance marketing agency, has hired Ben Ducker as its Executive Creative Director. He will provide a deep understanding of the traditional creative agency approach to brand advertising and combine it with existing data capabilities to create a performance-led and highly measurable approach to brand marketing.

Ducker has previously worked for VCCP and Fold7, as well as running his own production company, where he wrote and shot campaigns for brands including Carlsberg, O2, Diageo, Microsoft, EasyJet, and more.

“The industry and world is changing quickly, so I was looking to join a fast moving company that can keep up with the pace. The rebellious yet transparent mindset of Matt [Kwiecinski] and Robin [Skidmore] is what attracted me to joining the team, and I can see no better environment in which to create the future of advertising, where data meets creative for true engagement,” said Ducker.

“It’s refreshing to be calling out the ways of the past and exciting to develop a creative agency model that’s able to deliver on imagination and insight equally.”

Octopus recruits trio of advisors
Jack Randall, Dan Thomas, and Dave Kupiec have all been enlisted as Senior Advisors at Octopus Interactive, which provides a network of interactive screens inside Uber and lyft vehicles. The new recruits will be responsible for developing marketing partnerships with top brands to run on Octopus Interactive’s network of over 15,000 screens in rideshare vehicles generating over 60m monthly impressions of saleable inventory.

Randall spent 20 years at Univision, most recently as EVP of Business Development, before acting as Chief Commercial Officer at CivicScience.

Thomas joins Octopus from Active Media, where he was SVP of Strategic Development after senior leadership stints at NCM, Univision, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Kupiec is engaging with Octopus as part of his new consultancy venture, KPI Media Partners, after more than 30 years in media sales and publishing, featuring leadership roles at NCM, Wenner Media, and Conde Nast.

“As the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, people are going out again and rideshare is seeing a strong rebound,” said Cherian Thomas, CEO of Octopus Interactive. “There is light at the end of this tunnel with the prospect of widespread vaccination, and we brought these three industry leaders on board because they have the established expertise and track record to turbocharge our business development in the coming months.”

Tober shifts role at Searchmetrics
Digital marketing analytics provider Searchmetrics has announced that its Founder, Marcus Tober, has taken up a new position as Founder and Chief Evangelist at the company.

Tober, who founded Searchmetrics in 2005, will lead Searchmetrics’ external push to explain the value that SEO can deliver and how it needs to develop in the future. Internally, he will play a cross-departmental strategic role advocating for the needs of SEO.

“When I founded Searchmetrics in 2005, things looked very different but, at the same time, I still feel that SEO has quite a long way to go,” said Tober. “Comparing the effort that businesses put into other digital marketing channels with what they commit to SEO, there’s still a large disparity. For example, companies spend multi-millions on paid search but barely consider SEO. I’ve long been an advocate for SEO, of course, but I see now an opportunity to really increase its’ importance and for Searchmetrics to lead the charge to grow the discipline.”

Alfonica opts for Fawcett to direct on sales
Scott Fawcett has been appointed Sales Director at Rose Communications Group’s B2B telecoms arm, Alfonica. He will work closely with Alfonica’s Mobile, Voice and Data teams and be responsible for the strategic leadership of the sales function within the business, while contributing to overall growth strategy.

Fawcett has 20 years of experience in the B2B telecoms market. He started his career at Genesis Communications and has since held a variety of sales leadership roles at FLR Spectron, Annodata, and IP Solutions.

“I am really excited to be joining the leadership team at Alfonica, opportunities like this don’t come along that often. Alfonica, part of the Rose Communications Group, has already proven itself as one of the most innovative and respected companies in the telecoms sector,” commented Fawcett. “I am looking forward to helping develop the business and its B2B propositions that will benefit our customers in these difficult economic times. My aim is to realise the potential of this fast-growing company, with its incredible reputation for customer service and technical capability, to help us engage new audiences and demonstrate the critical role of effective business communications and collaboration tools to help our clients deliver a greater overall end customer experience.”

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Dentsu places Stagg in charge of CX and Merkle UK
Anne Stagg has been named as Chief Executive Officer of Customer Experience Management (CXM) for Dentsu UK & Ireland and UK Chief Executive Officer of Merkle. She will lead a business of 940 people at Merkle while also overseeing delivery across Dentsu’s CXM business which incorporates data and analytics, CRM, commerce, media, digital experience services, and B2B.

Stagg was previously Head of Client Services at Merkle, leading the creation of a fully integrated client services team across the company’s media, analytics, customer experience and technology service lines. She is also a former Managing Director of Indicia and Chief Client Officer at KMMS.

“This is a unique opportunity, to take on the role as Merkle’s first UK CEO in a time when we are reimagining the customer experience in the digital landscape,” said Stagg. “We are continuously improving our capabilities and the potential for our CXM line of businesses is tremendous when it comes to driving and supporting our clients’ digital transformations.”

Bondy rises to CEO at Vungle
Mobile ad platform Vungle has promoted Jeremy Bondy to Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Rick Tallman, who moves into the role of Strategic Advisor.

Bondy, who joined Vungle in 2014, has held a number of senior sales and operational roles at the company, most recently as Chief Operating Officer. He has been responsible for setting up and scaling Vungle’s commercial organization, establishing teams in Berlin, London, Beijing, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, New York, and Los Angeles.

“I am honoured to assume the role of CEO. Vungle has many exciting future growth opportunities, and I look forward to guiding our world-class team in creating the industry’s leading suite of tools to help mobile app developers maximise the value of their businesses,” said Bondy. “On behalf of the entire Vungle organisation, I want to express my gratitude to Rick for his invaluable contributions to the company’s historical success and, personally, for his mentorship in preparing me for this role. I look forward to his continued partnership with the company and wish him all the best.”

Salesforce names Bahrololoumi as UK CEO
Zahra Bahrololoumi has been chosen as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer at Salesforce UK and Ireland. She will join the company in March 2021 to lead operations in both key markets.

Bahrololoumi will join Salesforce from Accenture, where she leads the Accenture Technology practice for the UK and Ireland with a particular focus on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and platforms underpinning new applications. She also sits on the board of TechUK and is a Vice Chair of the Technology Leadership Group for the Prince’s Trust.

“I am excited to join a company with such an incredible track record of driving positive change and success for its customers,” said Bahrololoumi. “Salesforce provides outstanding technology to help businesses digitally transform and there is a unique opportunity for Salesforce to accelerate its growth in the UK and Ireland. Salesforce is also deeply committed to the role that businesses can play in society; I can’t wait to get started and support its game-changing work.”

Edwards to lead EMEA digital experience at Adobe
Adobe has appointed Lee Edwards as its Vice President for Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa. He will lead Adobe’s Digital Experience business across the region.

Edwards previously led Adobe’s Digital Strategy and Solutions business in EMEA, a position he had held since joining the company in January 2020 after 14 years at SAP. He will also take on the role of Managing Director for Adobe UK, helping to drive the company’s CSR and diversity and inclusion programmes.

“Earlier this year, Adobe was named the Best Workplace in Technology among large UK companies, but this is only the beginning. Now more than ever, it is crucial that our employees feel supported in their work, their career ambitions and their personal lives,” said Edwards.

“It’s not just good leadership, it’s also good business. Adobe’s global success this past quarter, including record overall revenue of $3.23bn and seven per cent growth year-on-year in our Digital Experience business, would not have been possible without the incredible engagement from our teams. I look forward to building on that momentum in Northern Europe and helping Adobe’s customers in every industry adapt to a new era in experience.” 

Group Nine selects Camara as DE&I head
Fanta Camara has been elevated to the role of Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at mobile video publisher Group Nine Media. She will design and lead a holistic DE&I strategy, identify growth opportunities, promote the adoption of inclusive practices and provide recommendations to senior leadership.

Camara most recently served as Human Resources Business Partner for Group Nine’s mobile news publisher, NowThis, where she developed tailored solutions for strategic workforce planning, change management and team building, in addition to serving as a Diversity and Inclusion Manager. Prior to Group Nine, she was Senior Human Resources Generalist at Snap Inc. Camara also held multiple human resources positions at The Estee Lauder Companies.

“Group Nine continues to lead the digital media space with its brands’ optimistic content that highlights diverse backgrounds, voices and opinions,” said Camara. “I am thrilled to bring my own personal and professional experience to further cement the company’s foundation as a safe place that is equitable, diverse and inclusive for every employee. We have ambitious goals and I am ready to tackle this crucial endeavour.”

Petranto to head up Kantar Analytics
Data and insights firm Kantar has appointed Chris Petranto as Global Head of Kantar Analytics. He replaces Fuentes who has taken on the role of Chief Operating Officer for the Insights division of Kantar.

Petranto, who will lead teams responsible for supporting client’s digital transformation, has been with Kantar since 2004. Before forming Kantar Analytics, he created and led Millward Brown Analytics.

“It’s a privilege to lead the team and further expand our solutions across the globe” said Petranto. “Since our launch in 2018, we have been on a mission to create the most advanced AI and machine learning tools, enabling our clients to make better business decisions, faster and at scale.” 

GroupM UK restructures
WPP’s media investment group GroupM UK has shifted Niel Bornman, Lisa Humphreys, Paul Rowlinson, Simon Willis, Charlotte Frijns, and Mark Collins into new roles as part of a restructure.

Bornman, currently Global Chief Technology Officer – Data, Product & AI at WPP, move to GroupM UK in January to lead its products and services squad as Chief Product and Services Officer.

Humphreys, current WPP UK Strategy Development Director, will begin a dual role leading the transformation and integration squad as Chief Transformation and Integration Officer, alongside her current WPP role.

Rowlinson moves from Managing Director of Group Digital UK to become Chief Customer Engagement and Growth Officer.

Willis will move from Managing Director of Investment to become Chief Investment Officer – leading the media investment management squad.

Finance and business operations will come together as one led by Frijns, Chief Financial Officer at Group M UK.

Collins will move from Chair of Investment to overall GroupM UK Chair.

“The changes announced today are the latest iteration of our goal to work in partnership with our clients to grow and create competitive advantage. By adopting a more agile way of working with these new overlapping squads we have the ability to adapt and shape our focus based solely on client needs,” said Karen Blackett OBE, GroupM UK CEO. “I am delighted with the new leadership at GroupM UK and thrilled to welcome both Niel and Lisa. Having worked with them for many years at WPP I am looking forward to having them as integral parts of this new era at GroupM UK.”

Tansill named transformation chief at Ogilvy
WPP’s Ogilvy New York has promoted Charlotte Tansill to the role of Chief Transformation Officer. She will lead an integrated strategy function for New York spanning all of the agency’s capabilities, while also partnering with Lauren Crampsie, President of Ogilvy New York, to drive the office’s business strategy and transformation.

Tansill has served in a range of roles across the Ogilvy network since joining in 2008, most recently serving as Executive Director of Ogilvy New York’s social media practice.

“I am grateful to Lauren and Ogilvy leadership for affording me this opportunity.  I am incredibly excited to accelerate growth at Ogilvy by leading our transformation and aligning our business practices with the evolving realities of our industry,” said Tansill. “Over my nearly 13 years at Ogilvy, I have fully embraced the strength of our culture and talent.  Our clients rightfully see us as thought-leaders, and we must innovate and deliver to maintain their trust.  I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure our leadership position sustains for years to come.”

DDB promotes Hesz and Rooney
Alex Hesz and Roisin Rooney have been elevated to the roles of Global Chief Strategy Officer and Global Chief People Officer at DDB Worldwide respectively.

Hesz will oversee the entirety of DDB’s global offerings and has work to harness the collective power of the global network. He most recently led strategy for the DDB’s Europe, Middle East & Africa and was Head of Strategy for Adam&Eve. He will continue to serve as Adam&EveDDBs Group Chief Strategy Officer for operations in both New York and London.

Rooney will lead recruitment, retention, leadership development and training and initiatives to ensure DDB talent is continuously advancing to stay ahead of client needs. She previously held the role of EMEA Chief People Officer at Adam&Eve.

“I am thrilled to elevate our current leaders from within the network into these roles,” said Worldwide CEO Marty OHalloran. “Things are changing rapidly, and were moving at pace to stay ahead. Alex brings an incredible track record from Adam&EveDDB, an agency known for its legendary work and clients. Ros experience in EMEA with growing the network, fostering our talent, and creating culture will ensure we are helping our people through this challenging time and into the future.”

Adams joins Kubient as partnerships SVP
Kubient, a cloud advertising marketplace, has hired Ryan Adams as Senior Vice President of Partnerships. He is charged with driving demand-side revenue and supporting supply-side inventory with the ultimate goal of growing partnerships and furthering Kubient’s development of relationships with brands, agencies, and publishers.

Adams has over 20 years’ experience as a sales and marketing professional at companies including Centro, where he was Head of Client Direct and Publisher Solutions in the East region.

“Kubient is a cutting-edge company driven by a passionate team of forward-thinking industry experts,” explained Adams. “I’m eager to join my new colleagues and work at a company that is bringing light to industry ad fraud and helping brands optimize their ad operations.”

FutureBrand turns to Esquivel as strategy chief
Eliza Yvette Esquivel has been announced as Chief Strategy Officer at brand transformation company FutureBrand North America. She will lead and build client teams across the agency, while developing and executing transformative strategic work for their global roster of clients.

Esquivel brings 20 years of marketing experience to the role, having previously served as the Senior Director of Global Brand Strategy at Microsoft, where she led a senior team of global strategists and partnership managers that managed the company’s productivity software portfolio. Before that, she served as Vice President of Global Brand Strategy at Mondelez International.

“I am excited to join a creative futures company,” said Esquivel. “I love thinking about and creating the future and see a huge opportunity to innovate the way thats done. I believe in the power of creativity to drive commerce and culture. With todays dynamic shifts in all areas of society, creativity is more crucial than ever.”

Lawson Johnston to manage partnerships at Hudson MX
Ad tech firm Hudson MX has named Sarah Lawson Johnston as Executive Vice President, Managing Director of Agency Partnerships EMEA.

Lawson Johnston joins Hudson MX after three years on the launch team of Covatic, where she will remain on the Board of Directors. Prior to this, she spent 22 years at Mediocean where, as Managing Director for Europe, she focused on new and existing revenue, oversaw the offices in London, France and Germany, and had full responsibility for the company’s European client relationships and business.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Hudson MX at such an exciting inflection point,” said Lawson Johnston. “They secured proof of concept through their work in local markets, they’ve established a fully comprehensive platform to replace legacy providers as the system of record, and they’re now breaking ground with the global agencies. The industry has been crying out for alternatives for years and Hudson MX has delivered a solution that far exceeds the original demand. I have great respect for JT Batson and I look forward to working with him and his team to develop the culture of the company and expand its reach.”

LivePerson adds Hamel and Higgins to exec team
Andrew Hamel has been hired as Executive Vice President of Operations and Emerging AI Businesses, while Shani Higgins has been appointed Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships, at conversational AI company LivePerson.

Hamel will oversee the daily operations of the company, help accelerate growth and scale, reimagine the future of work from a synchronous office-centric model to an asynchronous employee-centric workforce, and steer its business-to-consumer strategy and execution. Before joining LivePerson, he led the development of Amazon’s recommendation engines, search function, and other machine learning-powered experiences. Prior to that, he held leadership positions at Tacit Software, Infoseek, and Tumbleweed.

“Im proud to join LivePersons team as we build the new operating model to scale to the next level,” said Hamel. “Conversational AI is bringing about a shift as profound as search and social did, and its an exciting time to join the industry leader in this space.”

Higgins’ responsibilities include the selection and support of new global strategic alliances as well as the continued growth of existing partnerships. Prior to joining LivePerson, she gained over two decades of experience at companies including Mozilla, Infoseek, and Ziff Davis, as well as in her role as CEO of Technorati.

“Its an important time in LivePersons history to turbocharge growth,” said Higgins. “Im excited to join the companys team of experts as we distribute and integrate our industry-leading tech and inject even more value into our partner ecosystems.”

Ionita joins Organic dev team
Digital marketing agency Organic has appointed George-Andrei Ionita as Senior Developer. He will be focusing on leading back end development across multiple projects and his day-to-day responsibilities will include developing and maintaining cloud-based applications and APIs, ensuring efficiency and stability of backend code, working to design application architecture and helping to develop departmental processes.

Previously a developer at Prodo Digital, Ionita’s experience also includes stints at Fact Digital and Skiddle.

“I was blown away by the level of professionalism, expertise and knowledge at Organic,” said Ionita. “This role is every developer’s dream – being able to work with the latest tech and grow as part of a talented team, in a fun, relaxed environment.”

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Merkle elevates Wagner and Komasinski to presidents
Margaret Wagner has been promoted to President EMEA, while Michael Komasinski has been named President Americas, at customer experience management company Merkle. The appointments will take effect 1 January 2021.

Wagner is being promoted to the dual role of President, Merkle EMEA and leader of the Dentsu CXM LoB in EMEA. As chief growth officer in EMEA for the past three years, she has been working side-by-side with Komasinski with a strong focus on gaining, growing, and solidifying client relationships. Prior to Merkle, Wagner was Chief Marketing Officer at Rapp and held executive positions at Wunderman.

“I am excited about the opportunity before me to lead Merkle EMEA, and to continue as part of a company that is reimagining the customer experience and what it means to provide value in an increasingly digital world,” said Wagner. “The future is one where data and relationships will play a central role, and I am eager to help Merkle realise opportunities as consumers and brands evolve.”

Komasinski is moving up into the dual role of President, Merkle Americas and leader of the Dentsu CXM LoB in the Americas. Over the past three years, he has been leading Merkles European business as President, Merkle EMEA and CXM LoB lead for Dentsu in EMEA. Before that, Komasinski ran Merkle’s US Digital Agency business and, prior to Merkle, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Razorfish and President at Schawk Retail Marketing.

“I am so proud of all that we have accomplished in EMEA over the past few years. This year, I have been especially inspired by our team and our ability to come together as a company and make great strides with our business,” said Komasinski. “Looking ahead, I am eager to take on my new role and return to the US to focus on the Americas region in the next development phase of our company.”

Nasard takes to helm at Kantar
Data and insights firm Kantar has chosen Alexis Nasard as its Chief Executive Officer, effective 30 December 2020.

Nasard joins Kantar with almost 30 years’ experience in the FMCG and retail world and is currently CEO of Bata. Prior to that, he spent six years at Heineken, culminating in the position of President of Western Europe Business and Global Chief Marketing Officer.  Earlier, he worked for 17 years with Procter & Gamble in a variety of marketing and general management roles.

“Throughout my career, Kantar has been a trusted advisor. Kantar’s data, insights and advice informed many of the strategies, as well as communication and commercial plans my teams and I led. As much as I understand Kantar’s heritage and reputation today, it is our future that excites me most,” said Nasard.

“The combination of Kantar’s deep understanding of consumers around the world, our proprietary data sets and our growing expertise in advanced analytics and artificial intelligence puts us in a leading position to reshape the insights and consulting market, whilst offering clients superior analytics they can monetise. This will be all the more relevant in the volatile and fluctuating environment we are living in as a consequence of the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, as clients need to operate on very steep learning curves.”

Instacart makes two executive additions in Hall and Bardin
Christina Hall and Ariel Bardin have joined online grocery delivery company Instacart as Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President of Product, respectively.

Hall, who has more than 20 years of experience, will oversee the company’s human resources, recruiting, and diversity, equity and inclusion functions. She will help support the companys teams across North America with a focus on building a holistic people and talent strategy designed to attract, retain and develop employees. Hall most recently served as Chief People Officer at LinkedIn and, previously, held key human resources role at Facebook and Intuit.

“Instacart has forever changed the way people connect with the retailers they love to access the groceries and goods they need. Instacart has enormous meaning to me personally as a customer and as a family member of shoppers who rely on the service as a flexible earnings opportunity,” said Hall. “Im proud to join Instacart during a time when people leaders play a more important role than ever before in scaling a performance-driven culture while supporting the health and wellness of employees and amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups. I look forward to working with the team and continuing the companys efforts to foster an inclusive working environment where employees can thrive.”

Bardin will oversee the company’s consumer, enterprise, and advertising product teams and development. He arrives at Instacart following more than 15 years at Google, where he most recently oversaw YouTubes full suite of creator products as Vice President of Product Management. Prior to YouTube, Bardin was responsible for product strategy and business development for Google Payments, and spent nearly a decade as a leader for Google AdWords.

“As more people make online grocery delivery part of their weekly routine, the role that Instacart plays as an essential service for consumers, retailers and brands has never been more clear. Im thrilled to join the team at such a pivotal moment and help increase the value we deliver across our platform through exceptional product experiences,” said Bardin. “Instacart has an opportunity to bring to life online the inspiration, product discovery and retailer affinity that consumers experience when shopping in-store, and Im excited to get started with Apoorva and the team on that work.”

Kleveno becomes Tinuiti SVP
Performance marketing agency Tinuiti has appointed Kolin Kleveno as its first Senior Vice President of Addressable Audiences. Reporting to Executive Vice President and Head of Media Obele Brown-West, he will oversee the innovation, integration and synergy for the addressable audience division.

Prior to Tinuiti, Kleveno spent over 15 years at 360i, most recently as SVP of Addressable Solutions, where he founded the agency’s Addressable Solutions and Programmatic Buying Group. He has worked with clients including Capital One, Shiseido, Pernod Ricard, CarMax, Ben & Jerry’s, Chili’s, and Fossil.

“I was drawn to Tinuiti for its people-first culture and entrepreneurial spirit, but after an immersive onboarding, Im even more blown away by the talent and how well-developed the performance offering is; each team has true depth of knowledge and experience,”Kleveno said. “I am excited to build upon such a strong foundation and help advance the use of identity-powered addressable targeting and measurement solutions for our clients.”

Mediaocean promotes Dorman to CPO
Stephanie Dorman has been elevated to the position of Chief People Officer at omnichannel advertising platform Mediaocean. She has been tasked with prioritising diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), spearheading employee initiatives, and has already promote Nicole Brown to Vice President of DE&I.

Dorman has worked with Mediaocean for ten years and held senior roles in client services and customer experience.

“I’m both excited and gratified by the opportunity to build on Mediaocean’s extraordinary team and culture,” said Dorman. “In the short time since I started at this position, I’ve already seen an enormously positive reception to our efforts to make our team even more vibrant, supportive, and representative than it already is.”

Brown, who has been with Mediaocean for more than 15 years, will have direct accountability for Mediaocean’s DE&I efforts and outcomes. She will also oversee the company’s learning & development team, which oversees onboarding and internal skills training – efforts that are critical to DE&I efforts, as well as the growth of all team members.

Jones takes up BSO residency at Brand Safety Institute
The Brand Safety Institute (BSI), a non-profit advertising industry initiative, has selected Louis Jones as its next Brand Safety Officer in Residence. He will become the second person to serve the six-month role, succeeding BabyCenter programmatic chief Christine Desrosiers.

Jones, a consultant advising major companies, was formerly Executive Vice President of Media & Data Practices for the 4A’s, managing the associations thought leadership and standards efforts across brand safety, ID resolution, measurement, accountability, and attribution. Prior to that, he was CEO of Maxus North America. Jones has also served in a range of senior roles at Havas and other agencies.

“Brand safety is not a one-size-fits-all problem, as each brand has its own unique identity, opportunities, and needs,” said Jones. “Thats why BSI gives brand safety professionals the expertise, best practices, and relationships they need to understand and manage the complicated challenges facing each individual brand. I am excited and honored to be serving in this role, and I look forward to working with brand safety officers across the industry to help understand and address their needs.”

TPN names Water as CFO
Kayla Waters has been appointed Chief Financial Officer at TPN, a creative commerce agency. Effective 1 November, she will work alongside the leadership team, continuing to enhance operations and workflow, deliver cost-effective results, drive profitability and help the agency and its clients achieve success.

Waters has more than 20 years of experience in the finance industry and has served in various roles at TPN over the last 15 years, including Financial Analyst, Accounting Manager, Vice President & Corporate Controller and, most recently, Senior Vice President of Finance.

“Ive certainly had an amazing example of female leadership as Ive watched Sharon foster and grow this agency into what it is today. She is very committed to promoting women into top roles” said Waters. “I have also learned so much from Mike and will certainly leverage all of the efficiencies and processes that we built together as I step into this new role. My hope is to continue building an impressive service organization that not only drives results but has a bit of fun along the way.”

Cunningham joins Unlimited as CTO
Integrated agency group Unlimited has recruited John Cunningham as its Chief Technology Officer. Reporting to CEO Tim Hassett, he will be responsible for evolving Unlimited’s digital offering including adding firepower to its data, technology, and transformation capabilities.

Cunningham, formerly EMEA CTO at Wunderman Thompson, has held key technology positions at companies including Possible, Razorfish, Rosetta, Pixelpark, and Yahoo! UK & Ireland. He has worked with brands such as BT, GSK, Shell, Nestle, Adidas, Bayer, PMI, BAT, Audi, Aston Martin, Microsoft, HSBC, O2 Telefonica, and McDonald’s.

“It’s a really exciting time to be at Unlimited right now and I’m already seeing the agency go from strength to strength,” Cunningham commented. “What Tim and his leadership team have built is impressive; they have the talent, the momentum, and most importantly, their client-centric approach is one of the reasons I wanted to join. The Human Understanding Lab is an incredibly powerful offering for clients, and I’m thrilled to be part of such a dynamic team of neuro and behavioural scientists.”

Vibes appoints Rivera as CRO
Richard Rivera has been named as Chief Revenue Officer at mobile marketing firm Vibes. He is tasked with expanding and accelerating the use of the company’s engagement platform among enterprise brands, while helping these customers prepare for an increasingly mobile-centric future.

Rivera most recently served as CRO for Monetate, helping steer the company toward a sale that tripled its value. He has also held prominent revenue-generating roles at Medallia, Dialpad, Fuze, and Bladelogic.

“Ive worked with enough large global enterprises – across marketing technology to customer experience — to know that consumer-centricity is the foundation of a great company. My mission is to help brands realise the value of building and nurturing personal consumer relationships, while also optimising their existing digital marketing strategies. Mobile is the optimizer of digital engagement.” said Rivera. “Its rare to find a company with the unquestionable validation Vibes has across multiple verticals and the analyst community. My passion and expertise is in driving hypergrowth for a market at its tipping point. Mobile engagement and Vibes are at an inflection point and will disrupt and win.”

Filiberto and Naci arrive at VidMob
VidMob, a creative analytics platform, has announced Jeff Filiberto as its Head of Marketing Transformation Practice and Susan Naci as Client Partner, Beauty and Luxury Lead. Both will report to Head of US Sales Lisa Manowitz Rowley.

Filiberto will develop and helm the company’s strategic consulting practice to help enterprise brands improve their creative operations by leveraging VidMob technology. He joins from CAA Brand Consulting, where his teams developed marketing strategies and often digitally-led 360° programs for brands including Mondelez, Electronic Arts, Bose, Pizza Hut, HBO, JP Morgan Chase, and Tissot. Prior to that, Filiberto held roles at PepsiCo and Kraft Foods.

Naci will oversee US sales and brand partnerships within beauty and luxury. She joins from Amazon, where she led advertising for the CPG and beauty sectors.

“We’re excited to have Jeff and Susan join VidMob to help us broaden and deepen client relationships,” said Rowley. “Their understanding of advertiser needs and objectives, plus their proven track-records in driving results, will make them great assets to our company. We look forward to having them on-board to ensure that brands understand and leverage the power of creative intelligence to increase marketing ROI.”

Lab’s Verj selects Duda as UX head
Sabrina Duda has been appointed Head of User Experience at Verj, Lab Group’s behavioural science special agency. She will lead the agency’s user experience offering, overseeing design, delivery, and innovation and creating a bridge between research and creative implementation of insights.

Duda has more than 20 years’ experience in UX roles, with particular expertise in user-centred product development and user research. She has previously held positions at the Very Group, the UK Ministry of Justice, and Experian.

“I am very excited to be joining Verj and Lab Group. The group’s unique human approach and its combination of creativity, behavioural science and technology make this role the perfect match for me and my background,” said Duda.

“As a psychologist with over 20 years of experience in UX, I bring the user perspective to everything I do. Uncovering users hidden psychological motives, and observing and analysing their behaviour and pain points, creates successful products that fulfil users needs. When user needs drive product development, you can achieve the best possible outcome for customers and businesses alike.”

Betteridge welcomed as director at Picnic
Picnic Media, a mobile advertising company, has hired Saint Betteridge as its Commercial Director. He joins to help Picnic clients deliver high-impact, social-style ad formats and further raise the profile of the company across the UK advertising landscape and beyond.

Betteridge was previously Commercial Director at Unruly, where he led the UK agency sales teams in maximising revenue for the marketplace’s premium publisher video and CTV supply. He has also held roles including Managing Director of Advertising at Time Out Europe, Chief Revenue Officer Europe at Circus Street, Group Advertising Director at Dennis Publishing, and Ad Director at Emap Advertising.

“Picnic Media’s offering is unique in its ability to expand the high-quality ad experiences of social media to the open web. It’s also a great place to work – full of talented individuals who are passionate about this industry and great minds keen to develop innovative solutions,” said Betteridge. “I can’t wait to get started and help to raise awareness of Picnic’s offering amongst key decision makers in the UK, maximising its exciting value proposition and assisting in the development of its programmatic offering.”

Bazaarvoice brings in Hill as SVP EMEA
Ed Hill has been named as Senior Vice President EMEA at social commerce company Bazaarvoice. He will focus on executing company strategy and accelerating growth in the company’s EMEA business and client base.

Hill spent the last year and a half at Tibco as their UK and Ireland General Manager, where he worked to help transform the local brand to drive growth in customer acquisition and expansion. Prior to Tibco, Hill spent over five years at SAP running the UK sales organisation, driving innovation and business transformation, making it into one of SAP’s most established markets.

“The Bazaarvoice platform is hugely relevant and valuable to consumers, brands, and retailers alike, increasingly so in the current climate.” said Hill. “To join such an innovative and market-defining business at a time when it is partnering with the world’s leading brands to transform eCommerce from a solely transactional service into a personalised browsing and shopping experience was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. The exciting, dynamic nature of the business is a testament to the culture and leadership team that I am so thrilled to work with.”

Stelmach appointed Stadiumred president
Marketing collective Stadiumred Group has welcomed Jeff Stelmach as its Group President. Reporting to Founder and CEO Claude Zdanow, he will oversee core initiatives to support the company’s global growth vision, including agency finance and planning, agency operations and performance, new business and client relationships, and talent functions.

Stelmach has spent more than 20 years growing marketing firms, including Mosaic, Opus, Geometry, and EMI. He most recently served as President of Opus.

“I have been fortunate to have played a leadership role for multiple companies that have transformed the marketing agency landscape on a global level,” said Stelmach. “I see the same exact ingredients in Stadiumred that will pave the way for another important transformation in the global agency holdings model, including great vision, innovation, and a relentless commitment to creating true differentiation for talent and clients.”  

Adverttu opts for Hajas to lead growth
Annamaria Hajas has been hired as Head of Growth & Marketing at out-of-home advertising company Adverttu. She will lead Adverttu’s performance and brand marketing strategy and grow the company’s user base using its own on-car advertising and digital solutions.

Hajas joins from Yolt and has experience at technology startups and media agencies including MediaCom, Artefct, Geckoboard, GVC Group, and Perkbox.

“Adverttu’s culture is what any performance marketer dreams of – the freedom to experiment, impressive traction and the scope to scale rapidly,” said Hajas. “I am excited to join the team and get stuck in. Adverttu has an engaged, passionate driver community and these brand advocates are the perfect foundation for us to springboard from.”

Pair of business development hires made at Bango
Mobile commerce firm Bango has appointed Man Pham as its Regional Vice President of Business Development ASEAN and Keisuke Kishida as Account Director for Japan.

Pham, who joins from Fortumo, will work with Bango customers and partners to expand coverage and increase customer acquisition activities worldwide.

Kishida will lead new business development in payments, resale, and data monetisation for Bango in Japan. Before joining Bango, he introduced authentication services to banks and telcos, including NTT Docomo and Rakuten Bank.

“Online merchants working with Bango acquire, retain and monetize more users than they could outside the Bango circle,” said Bango CEO Paul Larbey. “Man Pham and Keisuke Kishida bring experience and leadership to the Bango Asia team. We look forward to welcoming many new merchants to the Bango Platform in 2021, and accelerating their growth across Asia.”

Mediafly opts for C-level reshuffle
John Evarts has been promoted to President at sales enablement company Mediafly, while Andrew Miehl has been named Chief Customer Officer.

Evarts, current Mediafly Chief Operating Officer, joined the company in 2010. During his stint, he has provided guidance and expertise in strategy, operations, administration, and financial management. Adding President to his COO title, Evarts will continue to work closely with Mediafly CEO and founder Carson Conant to support internal teams, while executing strategic initiatives for the company.

“As we continue to grow, it’s time for us to reassess and readjust as needed to meet the needs of our customers and our employees,” said Evarts. “Working at Mediafly for a decade, I have a good understanding of where we’ve been, where we are today and where we want to be in the future. Stepping into the role as President gives the executive team clear swim lanes to catapult Mediafly into the next phase of growth.”

Miehl previously served as Vice President of Sales at Instructure. Before that, he spent 12 years at CareerBuilder, where he served as Vice President of Software Sales, focused on increasing market share and creating customer-focused strategies.

“Mediafly’s dedication and commitment to providing customers with the best experience for their sales teams, going the extra mile to create unique features specific to the customer’s needs, shows they are passionate about every customer’s success,” said Miehl. “The team has already built a great foundation for me to start with, and my goal is to continue pushing Mediafly upward and onward in the sales enablement industry.”

Three hires made at Fingerpaint
Fingerpaint, a healthcare-focused marketing agency, has brought in Daniel Schroen, Danielle Bedard, and Krystal Gomola.

Schroen, who has a decade of experience in strategic business development, product management, and multichannel marketing, will serve as Head of Photo 51, a consultancy focused solely on advanced therapeutics.

Bedard has been named Director of Corporate Communications and Business Development, where she will ensure Fingerpaint offerings are cross-integrated for brand success. She previously served as Managing Director for Client Development and Organic Growth at Syneos Health.

Gomola arrives as bicoastal Lead Recruiter, with a mission to ensure personnel excellence as the agency continues to expand their business. She brings over 10 years of experience in health and wellness industry recruitment and joins from Tag Worldwide, where she was a Talent Acquisition Lead for New York and Los Angeles.

HelloDone recruits Gough and Sherwin-Smith
Andrew Gough has been named Vice President of Sales and Sean Sherwin-Smith as General Manager for Post purchase at HelloDone, a conversational AI platform. Both have joined from Narvar.

Gough, who has over 25 years of international enterprise sales experience, was Sales Director at Narvar. Before that, he was part of the commercial teams for Clicktale and IBM.

A 30-year eCommerce and logistics veteran, Sherwin-Smith served as Operations Director for EMEA at Narvar. He has also held senior positions at InPost, Pall-Ex Group, and CEVA Logistics.

“The arrival of Andrew and Sean is a real coup for us. It’s testament to both the quality of the engineering team we’ve already built and the size of the opportunity in front of us,” said Ed Hodges, HelloDone CEO. “As well as bringing a wealth of industry experience, they share our belief that conversational AI will not just deliver a better customer experience from order confirmation to arrival at their front door, it will completely transform the way brands transact with consumers.”

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According to an analysis of 33,500 online shoppers across 17 countries – with 2,000 from the UK – by Google and Kantar, 79 per cent of UK consumers rate their experiences with retailers as being either excellent or very good, compared to the global average of 69 per cent. Within this, overall satisfaction remained the same as previous years, yet customers still reported gains in 22 of 30 customer experience categories.

UK consumers reported a big increase in satisfaction within ‘fresh delivery of groceries’ (rising from 52 per cent to 57 per cent). Meanwhile, ‘quick and easy payment processing’ recorded a satisfaction score of 72 per cent and ‘quick website/app load times’ 69 per cent.

Net Promoter Score (NPS) – or, more simply, customer recommendations of retailers – was recorded as being 40 in the UK, versus 30 globally. This shows that UK consumers are more willing to promote their favourite retailers than their international counterparts.

However, despite tending to be aware of 12 online stores, only three online stores are generally purchased from. Moreover, only 13 per cent of UK shoppers (compared to 22 per cent globally) have stopped purchasing from a retailer after making their initial purchase with the organisation, showing Brits to prefer repeated purchases with a few select retailers.

The overall satisfaction of UK consumers is offset by the fact that only 33 per cent of them are happy with retailer loyalty schemes. Meanwhile, 43 per cent felt that retailer websites got to know their preferences or personalised content for them.

“It’s well known that customer expectations are defined by the best experience they have with a retailer – immediately creating a new bar for all other retailers to meet. This research not only confirms that point, but points to the need for retailers to work on personalisation strategies, loyalty schemes, overall site speed and more. The retailer who falls behind gets left behind, and retailers must anticipate customer needs and ensure it is being met with ease and speed as a bare minimum,” said Martijn Bertisen, retail director at Google UK. 

“UK customers are savvy, and we can see here that they reward great customer experiences with both repeat purchases and advocacy. The imperative is to be the retailer that sets the bar higher and finds new ways to not only keep customers satisfied, but to drive that satisfaction further upwards.” 

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WPP has agreed to sell 60 per cent of Kantar to private equity firm Bain Capital in a deal which values the business at $4bn (£3.2bn).

The search for a new majority shareholder in WPP’s market research unit began at the backend of last year, with a plan for WPP to always to remain in control of some of the business’ shares. In the end, Bain Capital fended off all other potential suitors and is now on course to claim a hefty chunk of Kantar.

“Kantar is a great business and we look forward to working with Bain Capital to unlock its full potential. As a strategic partner and shareholder in Kantar, WPP will continue to benefit from its future growth while our clients continue to benefit from its services and capabilities,” said Mark Read, WPP CEO. “I would like to thank Eric Salama, his team and everyone at Kantar for their tremendous contribution to WPP – a contribution that will continue as we develop the business together.

“This transaction creates value for WPP shareholders and further simplifies our company. With a much stronger balance sheet and a return of approximately 8 per cent of our current market value to shareholders planned, we are making good progress with our transformation.”

The deal is expected to close in early 2020, subject to approval from WPP shareholders and government regulators in the European Union, the US, Brazil, China, Russia, Turkey, South Korea, South Africa, and Mexico.

Upon completion, WPP will retain around 60 per cent of the proceeds to cut debt to the low end of its target leverage range, with the remaining $1.2bn being returned to shareholders

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eCommerce giant Amazon is the most valuable brand in the world, followed by Apple and Google, according to the 2019 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands rankings announced today at the New York Stock Exchange. The report, released by WPP and Kantar, attributed Amazon’s accelerated growth over the past year to the company’s “smart acquisitions”, which led to more revenue, improved customer service, and a broader array of available products and services.

Amazon experienced a 52 per cent year-on-year increase in brand value, hitting $315.5bn, compared to Apple’s $309.5bn. Google almost tied for second place with Apple, reaching $309bn in brand value, followed by Microsoft in fourth place at $251.2bn.

“Amazon’s phenomenal brand value growth of almost $108bn in the last year demonstrates how brands are now less anchored to individual categories and regions. The boundaries are blurring as technology fluency allow brands, such as Amazon, Google and Alibaba, to offer a range of services across multiple consumer touchpoints. Using their consumer experience and expertise, these brands are crossing over into the business services sector, creating new opportunities for brand growth. Disruptive ecosystem models are flourishing in regions such as Asia, where consumers are more technology-enabled and where brands are integrating themselves into every aspect of people’s daily lives,” said Doreen Wang, Kantar’s global head of BrandZ.

According to the report, key trends that made a significant impact on the rankings this year included luxury becoming the fastest growing category, while technology, finance and retail all remained dominate categories. There were nine new brands that broke into the Top 100, and a slew of Asian brands appeared in the rankings for the first time as well. More sustainable brands made their presence known, which may have to do with Millennials and Gen Z taking sustainability more seriously than previous generations. Lastly, the China and US trade wars slowed growth in brand value of the Top 100 brands over the last year.

“Following Amazon’s exponential growth over the last decade, it’s unsurprising that the eCommerce giant has been named the most valuable brand in the world. While this news is interesting, brand recognition is of little interest to Amazon; its prime focus is commercial strength and profit. In fact, our own research says that brand is only the third most important factor online. So, unless this ranking makes Amazon more money, it’s unlikely to be heralded as anything other than the bi-product of great service by the Seattle HQ,” commented Hugh Fletcher, global head of consultancy and innovation, Wunderman Thompson Commerce.

Fletcher continued, “Amazon’s success is characterized by what I would call its ‘aggressive horizontality’ approach, meaning the business no longer relies solely on its traditional online retailing model. The company has cleverly expanded into different industries such as entertainment, physical retail, grocery and more recently pop-ups, which has allowed it to stay ahead of its rivals. It is likely to continue to consolidate its position; our research found that it attracted 35 per cent of online spend in the UK, and 52 per cent in the US – so there is still room for improvement.”

“Ultimately, Amazon is likely unfazed by its new position as the world’s most valuable company; its dedication to continually innovate and build new infrastructure will see the company maintain its high value and continue to stay ahead of its competitors in the retail space,” concluded Fletcher.

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According to Kantar’s latest Dimension report, 56 per cent UK consumers object to over-targeting, while 55 per cent are completely apathetic toward advertising content – increasing from 53 per cent in 2018.

The study, which surveyed 5,000 connected consumers in five markets with a combined total ad spend of $352bn, also revealed that 73 per cent of UK consumers claim to see the same ads over and over again. And, perhaps a little more damaging, only 11 per cent say they enjoy advertising.

“If brands and advertisers are going to rebuild – and retain – the trust of their audiences, we need to see more responsible use of data across the industry. By adopting an integrated approach, balancing niche targeting capabilities with mass marketing tactics, brands can provide consumers with a helpful, additive experience,” said Mark Inskip, CEO of Kantar UK & Ireland’s media division. “Those who are building verified first-party data into their approach and, where possible, that of walled garden platforms are able to paint a complete picture of the total consumer journey across all media.”

The number of UK consumers using adblocking software has remained flat at 22 per cent for the last two year, but people are now finding other ways around advertising. 44 per cent of UK consumers are paying for a TV or video subscription and 17 per cent pay for an audio or music service – both of which ensure the user experiences an ad-free experience.

Of those subscribing to a TV or video streaming service, 52 per cent identify the content as being the main reason for paying. However, a growing number of people (36 per cent) are now subscribing to avoid being targeted by advertising, up from 31 per cent last year.

“At a time when consumers are becoming ever savvier towards advertising, the focus for the industry needs to be on creating content that really resonates with audiences and makes an impact,” said Inskip. “Already, we are seeing some brands taking steps in the right direction, and ultimately the ones who come out on top will be those who are able to create compelling content that’s shared in an appropriate context and accurately measured, to optimise performance.” 

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With Audience Profile, Kantar clients are able to access insights on the socio-demographics, media profiles, attitudes, and opinions of their target audiences with the insight coming from Kantar’s TGI consumer survey data of 25,000 UK adults. With this, Kantar hopes that marketers will be able to better understand their target audiences and be able to optimise the return on investment of PR and marketing campaigns.

“With this new service our clients can now access audience profile, forward planning, monitoring, evaluation, media content distribution, social media topic identification and a journalist and influencer database, giving them the most comprehensive tools available to increase the reach and efficiency of their campaigns,” said Richard Poustie, UK & Ireland CEO at Kantar Media.

Audience Profile insights can be accessed via a dashboard through Kantar Media’s MP+, it media monitoring platform.

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US consumers have higher brand affinity and better response to ads through mobile touchpoints to their favourite brands, according to research.

Verizon subsidiary Oath has worked with Kantar Consulting to create the first Brand Love Index, a research study revealing the key factors driving consumers to love brands, and it seems mobile brands come out on top with 60 per cent of US consumers having at least one mobile touchpoint with their favourite brand in 2017.

“Building a successful brand is more complex than ever, but its clear that love is the most important ingredient to creating long term affinity and ultimately driving sales,” said John DeVine, CRO at Oath. “At Oath, were passionate about building brands people love and insights from our new Brand Love Index will help our global partners adapt their strategies to create more meaningful connections and deliver on what consumers really want.”

The research also found that people around the globe want to be seen using brands that share their values. In the US, 62 per cent want brands to openly support equality and diversity, but only 25 per cent want them to show political support.

Furthermore, brands are expected to set trends and innovate in order to keep consumers by their sides, while trust holds even greater importance. In addition, brands must strive to act the age of their audience or risk losing them.

Looking specifically at brands, FedEx was found to come out on top when it comes to exceeding the needs of consumers, while Apple was found to be the biggest trendsetter in tech and Disney Resorts in travel. Nike, one of the top five brands overall, seats at the top of the pile when it comes to sharing value. And Visa gets the most trust. Meanwhile, Dove was found to be one of the most loved health and beauty brands, holding the highest score in respecting customers.

The post Mobile brands get a lot of love from US consumers – Oath research appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

According to WPP and Kantar Millward Brown’s BrandZ top most 50 most valuable UK brands, despite the UK’s leading brands being well-known and respected around the world, consumers don’t see them as particularly innovative. UK brands that score highest on innovation are almost twice as valuable as those with low consumer scores.

“The UK’s household names must behave like leaders to protect their value,” said Louise Ainsworth, UK CEO at Kantar Millward Brown. “Fame and scale have sustained them well, but they’re vulnerable to disruption from younger, more innovative rivals. Without losing what makes them loved and trusted, UK brands need to refresh what they stand for to make it relevant to today. They should be quicker to capitalise on technology to make consumers’ lives easier, and communicate their innovations effectively to build perceptions.”

The combined value of all brands in the ranking is $234.5bn (£173.7bn). Vodafone tops the list of the UK’s most valuable brands with a value of $27.3bn, accounting for 12 per cent of the ranking’s total value. It is followed by HSBC, Shell, BT, BP, Sky, Tesco, Lipton, Barclays, and O2 to round out the top 10.

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