Independent marketing group Audience Collective has appointed Simon Price, formerly MD at Essence Mediacom, as group managing director to spearhead the launch and growth of new agency, AC Media.
Bringing further support on the strategic direction of Audience Collective and AC Media, the firm has also appointed Kathryn Ellis, whose career spans two decades creating award-winning campaigns for brands including Halifax, Plusnet, Pink Lady, and Motability, to lead strategy and oversee the communications strategy team at AC Media.
The pair combine decades of strategic and creative expertise, bringing a wealth of knowledge and hands on experience to enable challenger and “challenged” brands to outsmart over outspend their competition.
AC Media will challenge the norm through creativity, smart strategy and intelligent use of data, to help deliver campaigns that break the mould and make a genuine impact.
Price said: “Right now, there’s a ‘wallpaper problem’ in media. Too much work is built to please algorithms rather than people, content that fills space but fails to move anyone or drive real results. Everything looks and feels the same and we know that challenger brands can’t afford to blend in; they need to stand out, surprise, and deliver that genuine ‘wow’ factor every single time.”
Bringing together Audience Collective’s full media capabilities across planning, buying, performance and social, AC Media will deliver integrated solutions that unlock the full power of the group’s collective intelligence.
With more than 30 years leading high-performing media agencies, working on multi-channel campaigns for brands including Hotels.com and Sky Betting & Gaming, Price brings a proven record of growing and transforming brands, from his time at EssenceMediacom North Group as well as his previous leadership roles in 12 years at Brilliant Media.
Ellis, meanwhile, is also pursuing a PhD exploring the link between diversity and creativity, fuelled by her belief that difference drives better thinking.
She added: “I have worked in some of the UK’s largest agencies as a strategist, seeing first hand the shift in communication strategies. I am joining Audience Collective at a point of real growth for the group, and I look forward to driving the teams and supporting on the launch and direction of AC Media alongside Simon and the wider team.
“Today’s challenger brands can’t simply buy growth, they have to earn it. That’s where AC Media comes in, helping brands be smarter, bolder, and more creative with their media.”
Rob Wescott, group CEO at Audience Collective, concluded: “We’re delighted to bring together not one but two moguls in Simon and Kathryn. Their combined experience, Simon’s commercial leadership and Kathryn’s creative strategic edge will ensure AC Media cuts through the noise and sets a new standard for what challenger brands can achieve.”
AC Media will champion Audience Collective’s planning principles through specialist agencies, an approach that helps brands break conventions, fuel cultural cut-through, and maximise effectiveness by blending paid, owned and earned media in smarter ways.
The business has worked with several household brands, including SiS, Hisense and Vintage Cash Cow, helping brands to connect with key audiences in a meaningful and results-driven way.
