CHE Proximity creates data-led planning team

The new team includes two new hires, Tony Chilvers, head of Interactive Strategy, and James Needham, head of brand strategy, joining two promotions of existing employees, James Greaney, head of data insights, and Susan Lyons, head of customer experience.

Chilvers joins the team from a content marketing role at ANZ and will focus on the agency’s mobile, social and digital-media offerings, while Needham arrives from TBWA Melbourne.

Greaney, who has international experience on Sainsbury’s and with SAS, runs a team of data scientists who will identify actionable data insights.

Lyons delivers what many data offerings lack, according to the agency: taking the data insight and translating the opportunity to a personal and intimate customer experience.

The agency said the move comes in response to the new marketing landscape, where audience fragmentation, customer value and ROI have become more important drivers of strategy.

“Omnichannel marketing will be the focus for brands in 2013,” said Chris Howatson, CHE Proximity managing partner. “For that reason, we’ve broken down the planning function to service what we see as the four major specialisations required: data, customer experience, interactive and brand.”

He said that over the next three to five years, the market will see further explosive growth in the accessibility of data and unprecedented access to people through technologies like NFC.

Howatson said many agencies aren’t equipped to take advantage of these developments. “The traditional planning structure doesn’t necessarily provide for the exploitation of data and technology in engineering modern customer experiences,” he said.

The agency has already started some creative and strategic work for News Limited titles Eureka Report and Business Spectator, VicRoads Custom Plates, and new campaigns for Foxtel, GE and City of Melbourne.

“It’s going to be an interesting 24 months ahead,” said Howatson. “Data and technology are rapidly changing the marketing landscape and presenting opportunities that previously didn’t exist.”