Head of Knowledge for MediaCom North America
Andy is responsible for working with key agency departments including Planning, Digital, Analytics and Insights to ensure that data, research, and knowledge benchmarks are at the center of MediaCom's operations to drive business outcomes for clients.
He jokes that he has a habit of getting job titles that signal change.
“Seven years ago I became a Chief Data Officer – I think I was among the first in any media agency globally. Over that time my focus was to create truly holistic data teams who could flex from digital and direct response analytics right through to complex statistical models. Now I have a Knowledge title, which is a great privilege, but also a great challenge! The title represents a shift that I see in our industry. As we gradually automate advertising, there will be a greater requirement for people with a holistic skill set to pull the levers/push the buttons. In the future our people will be more agnostic, guiding clients marketing investment across many platforms, fusing both the insights of data and the outputs of creativity to deliver the best ROI. In an industry that has traditionally specialized, this is a new breed of ‘unicorn’ that we need to develop; to do this we need more people with ‘horizontal’ as well as vertical experience.”
He adds, “Over the years, I’ve watched the questions clients ask become increasingly ‘horizontal.’ A few years ago, they were focused on channel expertise e.g. digital, now this has evolved to a focus on how the entire mix can drive their business, both long and short term. To answer these questions, we are looking at every touchpoint, the content within it and how we can leverage the entirety of the system to move their business.”
With over 14 years of industry experience, Littlewood began his tenure with MediaCom Australia. Since then, he has been extremely successful in the establishment and leadership of the agency’s Business Science team. He has also been responsible for the leadership of key econometric and analytical engagements with blue chip clients including Queensland and New South Wales Governments (former client), Energy Australia, Revlon, P&G, Audi and Volkswagen.
Andy has now lived in three continents. “I can safely say I’ve sampled a great diversity of climates as I’ve traveled the world. Coming initially from Scotland, then moving to Sydney and now living in New York I have moved between bleak, fantastic, and strongly seasonal climates. I’ve acquired new skills, like surfing and barbecuing along the way, and now am engrossing myself in the complexity of American sport.”