Bench Media has made two senior promotions.
Sebastian Diaz, previously senior digital solutions specialist, has been appointed to the newly created role of head of media innovation and Nate Vella, previously senior digital strategist, promoted to brand strategy lead.
“When talking to marketers, we realised that even with strong internal marketing resources, they are often one degree removed from the latest innovations happening in the digital advertising ecosystem," Bench Media VP of growth Anthony Fargeot said.
"As an agency, it’s a big part of our day-to-day to be in contact with media, tech and data vendors and how their offerings and capabilities are quickly evolving to stay ahead of the curve. We keep our finger on the pulse and share our knowledge with brands, infusing it in their marketing strategy so they can ongoingly improve their ROI.
“Sebastian and Nate are perfectly positioned to provide the latest knowledge to clients, their promotions are well deserved and testament to their vast experience and skillsets across the digital ecosystem.”
Drawing from his past experience at NewsCorp and OMD, Diaz is a thought leader in the industry and a member of the iAB Ad Effectiveness Council. His three-year tenure and now promotion at Bench will be instrumental in spearheading the release of new media products in line with brands’ growing needs for advanced and bespoke solutions.
Diaz said in the past three years, he's witnessed cookie-less ID solutions come to the fore; the attention-based economy thrive; and green trading finally taking a front seat.
“2024 marks the era of generative and predictive AI and the influx of commerce solutions and retail media networks. In an industry that rapidly needs to evolve to meet client needs, it can be challenging to navigate at the best of times, so it is great to be part of an independent agency that prides itself on being client-led and always keen to encourage the testing of new technology to market," Diaz said.
"We have a great working relationship with our clients, who trust us with strategies that aren’t the stock standard. I’m excited to shape Bench’s innovative media solutions and solidify us as digital leaders in market."
Fargeot said Diaz's understanding of media is one of the strongest he's ever encountered.
"And his ability to connect the dots to create much needed and innovative solutions is a massive asset for brands."
Vella’s understanding of client needs and challenges will allow him to integrate with brand marketing teams to help holistically design efficient advertising strategies based on their overall business objectives.
Vella said more and more, brands are seeking a centralised and stable strategy team to integrate with their day-to-day ways of working.
"Bench has the experience and capabilities to be able to support this, while also creating further valuable connections with our network of partners to drive success and achieve tangible business outcomes," he said.
“I'm looking forward to taking on this new role and contributing to the continued growth of our offering as an agency, and in doing so, providing forward-thinking and tailored solutions for our clients."
Bench Media GM Liam Garratt said it's impressive to see Vella operate and how he can embed himself with brand marketers.
"And speak their language, understand their challenges and come up with ingenious solutions to address them. His role will be a huge contributor to our continued success working with brands and I’m very excited to see him take on this new role."
Diaz and Vella’s promotions are effective immediately.
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