Melbourne based brand experience agency Trout Creative Thinking has tapped ex-Urban Lister Clare Acheson, to lead the agency’s content & engagement team in the role of brand experience strategist.

Acheson’s leadership role within the agency ensures that impactful experiences are positioned at the core of Trout Creative Thinking’s methodologies — driving market traction through fully integrated, content-led decisions that are a collaboration between consumer, client and studio.

The agency’s investment in a team that displays broad skillsets, expert specialisations, creative innovation and commercial mindsets includes the recent hire of senior content & engagement manager, Eliza Gower.

Gower brings with her a wealth of experience from prior roles at digital wine retailer, Vinomofo, and adventure travel company, Intrepid Travel.

Building a diverse 35-person studio has been a key focus for general manager, Craig Bridge, since joining the agency in May 2018.

“In today’s market, content isn’t only king — content is everything,” commented Bridge.

“For brands to survive in 2019 and beyond, they absolutely must be customer experience-centric.

“To ensure this, brands and agencies need to craft unified experiences that live across multiple platforms and mediums, rather than making individual promises through isolated touch points.

“At Trout, this means our content specialists are integral to strategic decision making, channel planning, narrative content and visual direction,” said Bridge.

“Content cannot be isolated to one department or treated as a production facility, outputting social and web posts.

“Instead, content needs to be at the heart of the process, driving brand storytelling every step of the way.”

Trout Creative Thinking’s future-focused approach ensures that its clients form lasting and meaningful connections with consumers by enriching their lives.

“Our role as an agency is to co-create successful futures with our clients so that we deliver on their brand promise at every step of the customer journey.

“This requires new agency thinking, driven by a team of talented, multi-skilled practitioners who aren’t afraid of questioning assumptions, and who know how to drive traction through meaningful experiences,” said Bridge.

Acheson’s skillset was instrumental to the rapid growth of independent media brand The Urban List during her more than three years with the company.

Her collaborative approach to results-driven content and brand experiences saw the media outlet win favour with major players including ANZ, Carlton United Brewing, Mercedes Benz, and Lion Dairy & Drinks.

Prior to landing in Australia, Clare worked with the likes of Volkswagen, Reebok, Target and Nickelodeon, in trend forecasting and brand strategy across Europe.

“What I am most excited about is Trout’s collaborative approach to strategic and creative innovation.

“Gone are the days of departmental divisions that rendered content as an afterthought to the creative process,” said Acheson.

“Instead, Trout has crafted a superstar team of individuals that harnesses a variety of industry-leading skills.

“Better yet, we are all committed to building content into the foundations of how we work, before executing solutions beautifully.

“This ensures that what we do will genuinely connect with audiences, providing value for them first and foremost, which in turn provides value for our clients.”

Acheson’s appointment is effective immediately.