AUCKLAND, Today: Independent CBD-based media agency Together has announced the appointment of experienced customer strategist and agency leader Andy Bell.
Bell, who has more than 20 years’ experience working with some of New Zealand’s biggest brands, will lead Connect, the agency’s customer and owned media practice in the new role of Together Connect managing director.
Bell joins Together after a successful tenure as MD at Omnicom customer agency Track, where he helped a wide range of clients to deliver growth from their customer portfolios.
This included working with McDonald’s to establish their data-driven digital CRM capability from scratch and employ this to drive incremental growth, a multi-year journey that saw McDonald’s recognised with a Grand Prix and Nexus Supreme double at the NZDM Awards.
Together Connect managing partner Kris Hadley said: “Together Connect will offer a range of customer, CRM, and marketing technology services to clients, leveraging Together’s award-winning data, technology and content teams.
“The offering reflects the agency’s belief in integrating paid and owned media programmes to maximise customer connection and business growth. Already a Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Google Premier partner, the agency is well positioned to capitalise on what it sees as increasing convergence between the two disciplines.
“The move comes on the heels of an exceptional year for Together, which was named Media Agency of the Year at both the Beacons and Campaign Asia Pacific, as well as IAB Digital Agency of the Year in 2022.
“Together Connect will offer a range of customer, CRM, and marketing technology services, leveraging the agency’s award-winning data, technology and content teams.”
“Andy’s arrival will help the agency build on that momentum by further evolving its unique approach to modern media planning and activation.
“He is a world-class talent and we’re thrilled to have him on board. We’ve always enjoyed challenging legacy thinking, and we believe the separation between paid media and owned media programmes is one area that’s holding back effective marketing.
“With an increased focus on ROMI and 1st party data use this year, it’s the right time to properly connect these programmes together and unlock even more growth opportunities for our clients.”
Andy Bell said: “The opportunity to integrate the competencies of a CXM agency with a modern, data-driven media agency is one I couldn’t pass up.
“The synergies will enable us to unlock growth for our clients and engineer more seamless, valuable experiences for their customers.
“And while it makes absolute sense – the legacy separation of these agency disciplines is well past its use-by date – Together is the only agency in Aotearoa today where I felt that it could work successfully.
“Kris and Rufus created Together from day one with this future move in mind. Connect is not a bolt-on, it’s integral to Together’s proposition.
“Our name says it all.”
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