On January 1 2019 a completely new DDB agency will come into existence in The Netherlands. Its name is DDB Unlimited and it will integrate the expertise of data based marketing & communications agency, Databay; DDB & Tribal Amsterdam; and social media and PR agency, Etcetera (local creative insight and change management skills of Etcetera), the agency will have its own marketing-intelligence, production and media units.

It’s also a company with data and performance at its heart. And it’s the first creative agency to offer a compelling alternative to the hours-based payment system. It bills on results.

DDB Unlimited will have its offices in Amstelveen. In addition to expertise from Databay (data analytics and precision marketing knowledge), DDB & Tribal Amsterdam (strategic-creative heritage and digital skillset) and Etcetera. In addition, the agency will have its own marketing-intelligence, production and media units. 

Here is how DDB Unlimited’s management see the new agency:

Frank Huiberts, founder of Databay and chief executive officer at DDB Unlimited, “Everyone is talking about it – technology and data and that “we should be using them more”. What we have now done is to develop, from scratch, a completely new agency concept, one based on data and performance. An agency with a unique mix of experts on board.”

Dick van der Lecq, managing director, “This agency exists because it is what advertisers are asking for. The extensive research we conducted amongst CEOs and CMOs showed that there is a great need for a partner who can help them get a much firmer grip on their customers and on delivering results.’

Lawrence du Pre, managing director, “The needs of national and international clients are increasingly the same. They’re all crying out for a completely new agency model. We’re not afraid to throw out the old thinking and legacy systems to deliver the future.”

Joris Kuipers, executive creative director, “Of course we’re continuing to build on our great strength: iconic branding. We are standing on the foundation of the DDB tradition, and we’ll remain loyal to it.”

Kees van Dorp, director precision marketing, “If we want to provide real grip to advertisers, we have to be champions of effective delivery: the domain of precision marketing. We do this by combining data, in-house media and production.”

Ben Imhoff, brand format lead, “The Effie mindset has always been in our companies’ DNA. The new agency lets us take this expertise to the next level.”

Sander auf dem Brinke, director data & analytics, “Our clients have more than enough data. But the real question is: are you making the most of that data? Our analysts can integrate multiple data streams and transform them into proven growth.”

Guido Perotti, performance lead, “We’re working alongside Les Binet, Adam&Eve DDB’s head of effectiveness and author of The long and the short of it. That gives us a lot of knowledge on the commercial value of creativity.”

Esther te Pas, managing director, “Many clients are not fans of our hours-based remuneration system. With our real-time dashboard, we’ll be the first creative agency with the confidence to make remuneration agreements based on the results we actually deliver.”

Ivonne van Zuilen, head of marketing at Ben Telecom: “It hasn’t been called DDB Unlimited until now, but we’ve been working with the agencies in this manner for years, and we see it as the new way of working.”