As part of a reorganization of its operations designed to meet its clients’ evolving needs, PHD UAE has created a new role focused solely on harnessing digital data. The Omnicom Media Group MENA agency has appointed David Barnes, who brings six years of digital performance experience gained at a media agency in London, as its first associate director of digital data.
PHD has also integrated several specialist disciplines, previously housed in Omnicom Media Group MENA units, into its account teams. Together with this strengthening of its marketing technology agenda, the new structure is designed to provide a more cohesive service offering, reflecting PHD’s commitment to ‘finding a better way’.
Barnes’ remit is to lead PHD’s Technology Solutions team to help clients design and enhance their data strategies through consultation and educational initiatives to build marketing technology platforms. He will also enhance the agency’s programmatic offering, leading the implementation and operations of the practice for clients while unlocking the power of their first and third-party data sources. As such, Barnes will be part of a new global community within the PHD network, reporting into Ben Samuel, recently appointed as marketing technology director for PHD Worldwide.
“As the marketing technology and ad technology space becomes both exciting and complex, my mission is to guide PHD’s clients towards effectiveness,” explained Barnes. “Ultimately, PHD has to be as skilled in consulting on our clients’ technology needs as we are at managing their media investments.”
“In today’s world, brands are focused on improving the performance of their marketing investments by using ever-larger quantities of data in a number of new ways,” commented Elda Choucair, managing director of PHD UAE. “As a pioneer within the digital space, PHD has long been extracting the invaluable insights that data intelligence provides to guide the planning of clients’ activities. In this new role, David will elevate the data agenda for our clients now and deliver the comprehensive knowledge and education they need to benefit from the full potential of marketing technology platforms.”