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Curious Nation ramps up shopper investment with new hires
Owen Cseh, Gemma O’Kelly and Simeon Trew.
Brand activation agency Curious Nation has expanded its account management team across New Zealand and Australia with three new hires.
Simeon Trew and Gemma O’Kelly have been appointed account directors, shopper, while Owen Cseh joins as junior account manager, shopper.
The appointments come as Curious Nation launches the ‘Curious shopper accelerator’, a bespoke training program that combines industry insights, supplier-led sessions and shopper marketing coaching to bridge the gap between brand thinking and shopper instinct.
Deep shopper expertise
Trew joins Curious Nation in a permanent role after working with the agency on a project basis since February.
Based in Auckland but covering Curious Nation’s clients across New Zealand and Australia, he brings deep shopper expertise, having previously worked with brands including DB Breweries and Sanitarium as account director at strategic and creative shopper marketing agency Raydar.
Based at Curious Nation’s Melbourne office, O’Kelly will lead shopper and retail marketing delivery and brings more than eight years’ experience from leading UK retail marketing and shopper agency, Live & Breathe, where she worked on the supermarket giant Morrisons account.
Cseh joins from Clemenger Field Marketing, adding valuable field marketing experience to the team.
Challenge the status quo
Gareth Brock, Curious Nation co-founder and head of strategy, says: “With increased investment flowing into the channel and growing demand for more accountable, commercially-driven work, the appointments of Sim, Gemma and Owen, along with the launch of the ‘shopper accelerator’, signals our intent to further elevate the role and impact of shopper marketing across Australasia.
“Clients come to us because they want something different. They’re not looking for the same old shopper promotions but want ideas that genuinely cut through and drive commercial impact, such as our recent ‘Mountain Dew flavour hunt’ activation that launched two new flavours by turning discovery into a game.
“Like everything at Curious Nation, these appointments are about challenging the status quo and pushing our Curious Thinking framework further.”
