Buzzfeed’s Digby Lewis joins Iris as lead role in its new global content hub
Iris has appointed Buzzfeed’s director of brand strategy Digby Lewis, to a lead role as head of platforms and distribution within its newly formed global content division.
The specialist proposition ‘Content That POPS’ is focused on the creation, production, and effective distribution of content in order to help deliver value to Iris’ clients.
The ambition of the new content division is to create more effective value exchange between brands and people through content marketing that has ‘Purpose, Originality, Participation and Shareability’ at its core.
In his new role Lewis will contribute to the agency’s data-driven insight capabilities, developing a heavyweight distribution strategy, as well as building the creative agency’s editorial capabilities.
He will report into Matthew Kershaw, who joined the team as managing director of ‘Content That POPS’ in November 2015. Both Kershaw and Lewis will lead the charge in globalising the proposition from the network’s London headquarters, with teams already in place in Singapore, Amsterdam, Sydney, Shanghai, New York and Sao Paulo.
Kershaw said of Lewis’ appointment: "Content’s only worth doing if it creates extraordinary value for consumers and businesses, and to do that clients need ‘own the full content stack’; planning, creation, agile production, smart distribution and the data fuel for the process.
"To that end, we continue to invest in world-class talent. We are hiring from the kind of company many businesses are scared of. Digby has a deep understanding of how content is distributed, and brings a unique blend of multi-channel editorial and commercial experience to iris."
Lewis said: "I could give '29 Reasons Why I’m Joining iris' but the agency's work speaks for itself. 'Boss Everyone' for Adidas shows they instinctively understand how to produce content with purpose that people will want to talk about.
"That said – the world doesn’t need more content. Matthew and I are fully committed to making less 'stuff' for its own sake and focusing on work that has a genuine purpose; as part of the award-winning integrated iris proposition, we have the ability to say no when content isn't actually the answer."
Other senior roles at the new venture include Hannah Beesley, who heads up the social practice at iris, and Aideen Fox as partnerships manager who is tasked with building partnerships for iris clients based on value exchange rather than just monetary investment.