Epsilon drafts in Mark Fiddes to lead agency assault

Mark Fiddes Photo 2Epsilon, one of the biggest data-driven marketing companies in the world, has signalled its intent to go after DM agency business in the UK and beyond by drafting in industry stalwart Mark Fiddes as executive creative director for the EMEA region.
The appointment is part of US giant’s international expansion drive. It has offered a full-service capability in the US for a number of years, and was rated the number one agency across all disciplines in the States by Ad Age last year.
In the UK, the company is best known for its database marketing offering through Epsilon Abacus, although it is also a leading email marketing vendor and loyalty programme provider.
As well as offices in Soho and Teddington, the company operates out of Dublin, Paris, Madrid and Dusseldorf for clients including Google, Jaguar Land Rover, Dell, Procter & Gamble, Marks & Spencer, Barclays and Hilton Worldwide.
The agency network focuses on bringing together data-backed insights and creativity across all media and technology platforms.
Fiddes brings more than 25 years’ agency experience to the role, having worked at many of the UK’s top agencies; hehas also been at the forefront of integrated marketing.
Having started his career in publishing in the US in 1982, as editor of campaigning political magazine Dollars & Sense, Fiddes returned to the UK in 1988 to join IMP – then run by the team led by John Farrell – where he rose to executive creative director.
In 1994, Fiddes was poached by HHCL & Partners; the ground-breaking agency which pioneered a truly integrated approach, and put direct marketing and advertising teams together for the first time. However, within three years he had left to become a partner at Davies Little Cowley which was renamed Davies Little Cowley Fiddes.
By 2003 he was appointed global creative director at Euro RSCG Global, where he stayed for 6 years, working on the portfolio of Reckitt Benckiser brands across all media and global markets, as well as Jaguar and Bayer.
Fiddes joined DraftFCB in 2009, working across advertising, digital and direct marketing for clients Nivea, Hyundai, Post Office, Taco Bell, Coca Cola, COI and Oreo, before setting up IdeaMotel three years ago with ex-JWT creative director Charity Charity.
Epsilon managing director EMEA Phil Cottier said: “Mark brings together world-class creative expertise with in-depth industry knowledge, it’s great to have him on board.”
Fiddes added: “The biggest challenge to our industry right now is relevance. For brand communication to be effective, you need the kind of big data insights that Epsilon offer. Only then does the synergy between content creation and traditional advertising become possible. This is where you’ll find today’s breakthrough thinking.”

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