Affinity has appointed Emma Shepherd as communications director.
Shepherd joins the indie agency after a year with The Trade Desk, where she served as editorial content manager, APAC.
In the new role, she will manage Affinity’s external reputation, spearhead thought leadership efforts, ghostwrite the company’s website, and oversee the production of the OutThink newsletter.
Shepherd will also drive other outreach programs designed to amplify Affinity’s brand presence, including all PR, and social media engagement on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.
Angela Smith, chief brand officer at Affinity, said: “We kept hearing we were flying too far below the radar, so we decided to take a dose of our own medicine and invest in raising our profile by hiring one of the best. Emma has already made an important impact on how we present ourselves to the world.
“As independent thinkers in the industry, we’ve pioneered numerous approaches to market, but we haven’t really told anyone about it. Well, that’s all about to change, and we’re loving practising what we preach. One of our secrets to success is our data-driven approach that has been at the core of these innovations, enabling us to deliver measurable results for our clients.
“There’s been so many accomplishments to celebrate, I think we’re all guilty at times of being the expert plumber with the leaky tap. But as we continue to grow our offering thanks to new team members of the calibre of Vaughan Townsend, ECD, and Gavin Sommer, having the talent of Emma on our team is the icing on the cake to get the good news out there.”
Smith added that Affinity has won more than 70 effectiveness awards in the past six years, “not including another IPA Effie that’s due to land in October.”
“We owe it to our amazing team and clients to ensure their hard work is consistently out there on a bigger stage,” she noted.
Shepherd brings experience in media trade reporting, and content strategy to the role.
“I am thrilled to join AFFINITY and contribute to its mission of accelerating growth for ambitious brands,” Shepherd said.
“I look forward to leveraging my experience in editorial content and communications to elevate AFFINITY’s profile, drive thought leadership, and build meaningful connections within the industry.”
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Top image: Emma Shepherd