LONDON — Alfred has appointed its first head of digital to support its growing digital and social media offering.

Chris Kedian has been appointed to lead on digital, data, creative and strategy after the agency picked up a number of integrated and digital-first clients. These include Jagex, the developer of 20-year old multiplayer game RuneScape, which appointed Alfred as its lead creative agency.

Kedian previously ran his own digital agency, and has also held senior positions at agencies including Once Upon a Time, Hixville and The Creative Partnership, leading digital and creative teams on clients including Disney, Marvel, 2K Games, Universal Pictures and EA Games.

Kedian joins the 20-strong agency’s senior management team, which counts former Weber Shandwick, Grayling and Trimedia chief Michael Murphy among its non-executive directors.

Managing director Dan Neale, who founded the firm in 2013 after running Nelson Bostock’s digital and social arm, told PRovoke Media: “We’ve always been really digitally focused but we needed to bolster our capabilities and Chris will supercharge our offer. I’m focusing more on client strategy and counsel and there’s an opportunity to bring more data and insight into the work we’re doing.”

Kedian added: “The combination of Alfred’s insight-led programmes that have genuine business impact, their ambitious, progressive clients, and stand-out culture made the appeal of the consultancy very attractive and a natural fit for me. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to the team, and playing a key part in the growth plans for 2021 and beyond.”

Alfred delivered high-single-digit growth in 2020 and, as well as Jagex, won clients including HTC and Nespresso and continued to work with global brands such as Oatly, Warner Bros and Amazon. The agency also won a number of awards for its behaviour-change campaign, #TheRealCheekyNandos, with World Animal Protection.

Neale said: “We talk a lot about the idea of creating movements, not moments, for brands, and that’s resonating more than ever as businesses take stock and look at what they stand for beyond profit. For instance, we expanded Oatly’s brief internationally in Sweden, around EU legislation that will change the way meat and dairy alternatives can talk about themselves. For HTC, we’re moving beyond gaming to showcase the possibilities of VR in the worlds of training and medicine.

"We’re trying to move away from the purpose conversation, towards brands actually making a positive impact and challenging accepted practices in their sector.”