Bench Media announces head of media innovation and brand strategy lead promotions
Media agency Bench Media’s leadership team has grown, thanks to two senior promotions expected to create greater innovation and cutting-edge strategies.
The first of the newly announced promotions relates to Sebastian Diaz, who moves on from senior digital solutions lead to head of media innovation.
Having joined the independent Sydney-based agency in 2022 as media and partnerships manager – and with stints at News Xtend, BIS Oxford Economics, and more, in addition to being a member of the IAB Ad Effectiveness Council – Diaz’s deep-seated knowledge of media will be used to roll out fresh, client-focused media products.
It’s an ability that’s expected to act as “a massive asset for brands”, said the agency’s VP of growth, Anthony Fargeot.
“Seb is definitely the man for the job. His understanding of media is one of the strongest I have ever encountered and his ability to connect the dots to create much needed and innovative solutions is a massive asset for brands,” Fargeot explained.
When commenting on his new gig, Diaz said: “In the past three years, I’ve 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.
“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.”
(L-R): Nate Vella, Sebastian Diaz
Meanwhile, as brand strategy lead – a position awarded to him over two years after signing on as an account manager after roles at Lifesight, Are Media and News Corp – Vella will be closely collaborating with clients (particularly brand marketers) to develop advertising strategies that satisfy business goals.
“More and more, brands are seeking a centralised and stable strategy team to integrate with their day-to-day ways of working,” Vella said.
“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.
“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,” he concluded.
Bench Media’s general manager, Liam Garratt, said Vella’s new role will benefit clients and Bench’s ongoing success.
“It is impressive to see Nate 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,” he explained.
“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.”
According to Fargeot, the promotions come at a time when marketers digital advertising solutions are not wholly aligned. And with Vella and Diaz at the helm in their respective roles, he says clients can be rest assured knowing that only the most up-to-date knowledge will power their strategies and improve their ROI.
“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,” Fargeot revealed.
“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,” Fargeot finished.
Both promotions are effective immediately.
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Matthew is the editorial assistant at Mumbrella. He joined the company at the end of September 2023.
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