The story I am about to tell has seen me exclusively as an external observer of amazing skills and professionals I rub shoulders with every day.
We are guardians of reputation committed to supporting our clients in building a positive reputation. The final result is entirely independent of the channels we deem useful to employ for this purpose.
Facebook was born in 2004, Twitter in 2006. The world was very different. Until then, the main tool for managing reputation was media relations, but something was about to change.
In 2008, Elena Silva realised that it was necessary to better understand what was happening around us.
She invited Claudia Carasso and Tony Obregon from the San Francisco office (our most advanced office on this front back then) to visit Milan for a workshop on the digital world.
In the occasion, Elena decided to send one of our smartest talents, Lorenzo Petracco, to San Francisco. Lorenzo spent a few months there.
In 2010, Chad Latz arrived. Chad has been the real engine of the digital revolution in our agency. In almost 15 years, he has built a practice without equal in our sector.
Lorenzo, under Chad’s guidance, created a real miracle in our Milan office. With humility and dedication, he built, piece by piece, a true pillar of the agency.
And then joined him Roberto Peraboni, now head of the practice, and Paolo Magnano, our magnificent creative director who allowed us to have top-level creative production embedded in any BCW Italia activity.
For us, digital has never been separated from the rest of the agency and for us, digital has never been just digital but digital & innovation.
At this end, a few months ago, we launched, together with Limbik, Decipher, one of the most powerful AI tools to help clients identify and combat weaponised information combining a groundbreaking cognitive AI platform with world-class corporate reputation and crisis counsel.
In EMEA, under the guidance of Scott Wilson, the Digital & Innovation Group has become a jewel in the crown of our offering and Sama Al-Naib has led the agency, along with Lorenzo (who now has the EMEA role of Head of Creative Transformation from Milan), to what represents the most important milestone for us.
BCW Global (soon to become Burson with our dearest colleagues Hill & Knowlton) is now EMEA Digital Consultancy of the Year 2024.
It is not the only reason to be happy for the Italian office. The team of Gianfranco Mazzone, Claudia Corradi Elisa Puletto Laura Zugnoni Stefania Colò Francesco Paolo La Bionda won at the SABRE Awards EMEA the Award for the best communication campaign in the Mediterranean area for American Express, one award more won by the fantastic team for this wonderful client.
Let me congratulate all the people I have named here and the dozens of people scattered throughout EMEA of the Digital & Innovation practice for the incredible work you do every day.
It is an honour working with all of you.
Head of Growth at Dilate Digital | Steering Revenue Growth, Opportunities and Strategic Partnerships
4moBetter everyday mate. 👌🏻