MercerBell has bucked the backlash against “content” by adding an editorial and content division to the agency, appointing Gary Andrews (middle of photo) as the managing editor and Roslyn da Roza (right in photo) as social media editor.

With a background in journalism and a successful career generating highly awarded content for corporates, Andrews and MercerBell are tightly aligned in their approach to offering quality content as part of the brand experience.

Managing director Julie Dormand (left in photo)said: “The editorial offering from MercerBell is something that we have put a lot of thought and strategy into designing so that we can provide our clients with real content that builds connections with their consumers, not a string of keywords that chases the ever-changing requirements of search engines.

“We chose Gary to head up this exciting new division because he understands both how to design an editorial strategy for a brand, and how to execute content across screen and sound, and a wide variety of print formats.”

Andrews said: “At MercerBell, we firmly believe that content is all part of the customer experience, and to offer the best content, no matter what its objective, there needs to be a wider awareness of the communications ecosystem that content plays in.”

Previously, Andrews worked for Direct Line Group in the UK, where he headed up their social media division, and across the insurer’s house of brands, including Direct Line, Churchill, Green Flag, Privilege and Shotgun. Andrews led the multi-award winning #directfix campaign in the UK, which took home top prizes at the Chartered Institute of Marketing Awards, the Brand Republic Digital Awards and the Financial Services Forum Marketing Effectiveness Awards.  

Andrews, who has a background in broadcast journalism, has also worked with insurer Hiscox and PR firm Ruder Finn in the UK.