Brand experience agency Stata has strengthened its automotive capabilities with the appointment of Louise Smith as client services director, automotive.
The new role underlines the growing importance of automotive within Strata’s growth strategy and its investment in a specialist division for the sector.
Working alongside group head of automotive, Paul Banham, she will lead client services for a portfolio of automotive brands and be a central point of contact for clients, ensuring they receive consistent, strategic support from brief through to delivery and helping to sharpen Strata’s automotive proposition.
Smith brings more than 20 years of automotive experience, built predominantly agency side, most recently as account director at Hyphen.
She has worked across brands including Volvo, BMW and General Motors marques, leading marketing programmes, pan-European campaigns and major product launches which includes the New MINI. Her career has focused on building long-term client partnerships and delivering campaigns that drive measurable results.
“Automotive has been the thread running through my entire career. I have grown up in this sector, from hands-on marketing through to leading integrated campaigns across multiple brands,” she said.
“Strata already has an incredibly strong foundation in automotive, with an experienced team and a client list that spans some of the most exciting brands in the industry. My focus is on understanding where we can add even more value and creating experiences that deliver real commercial impact for our clients and their retailer networks.”
The appointment builds on the creation of Strata’s dedicated automotive division in 2024, launched in response to increased demand from a growing client portfolio that includes Polestar, Volvo, Renault Group, OMODA JAECOO and brands within the Stellantis group.
Cole Mulkerrins, CEO of Strata, added: “Louise’s arrival is an important next step in our automotive growth. She combines deep sector knowledge with first-class client service experience and will help deepen relationships with existing clients and ensure Strata is positioned as the agency of choice for automotive brand experiences.”