The PHA Group Launches First US Agency

The PHA Group has gone international.

The independent PR, digital and creative agency, has announced the opening of Dig & Dig, the group’s first international agency which will have its HQ in Boston, Massachusetts.

A digital and social agency, Dig & Dig will offer services including organic and paid social, influencer marketing, Digital PR, SEO, PPC and content marketing.

The agency is headed up by a Boston-based team of Matt Raven, Executive Vice President who will lead Dig & Dig’s day-to-day operations and will be supported by Desiree Dileso, Vice President, Head of Paid Media. Both will report to PHA’s joint Group MDs Shelley Frosdick and Stuart Skinner.

The agency launches with a roster of rapidly-growing clients including Workstorm – a leading secure work collaboration platform for the world’s most operationally complex brands. The programs are serviced with staff from across the group’s UK and US offices working collaboratively.

With over 16 years’ experience, Matt Raven offers expertise in digital marketing, search, and content strategy across owned, earned and paid channels. Most recently, he worked for Look Left Marketing, where he served as Vice President and Head of Digital, leading the Digital practice to create and execute strategies helping technology companies breakthrough with insight-driven integrated programs.

Prior to that, Matt worked for the Boston-based agency, SHIFT Communications, where he was tasked with developing and launching SHIFT’s Optimized PR service, the industry’s first true performance-based earned media offering. Matt has developed campaigns for brands including Warby Parker, Citrix and GoDaddy.

He is deeply ingrained in the Boston business community, speaking regularly to local students at Boston University and sharing his knowledge at local industry events like DigiMarCon New England and PRSA’s PRxNE conference.

Desiree Dileso brings over 14 years’ experience in planning, buying, and executing Paid Media campaigns. Prior to Dig & Dig, she spent over 13 years working for independent media agency, PGR Media, most recently serving as VP, Media Director, where she led end-to-end integrated channel planning from audience development and communication strategy to forecasting and reporting.

She has a deep understanding of the paid media landscape having led campaigns across social, programmatic, CTV, audio, display, custom content, and outdoor. Her hands-on-keys experience coupled with strategic channel vision has helped many brands scale their investments with confidence.

Desiree has developed winning strategies for brands including Vera Bradley, StriVectin, Sheraton Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Celebrity Cruises and StriVectin amongst other spanning various industries such as CPG, finance and tech.

Desiree is actively involved in Boston’s ad community. She’s a member of Boston Interactive Media Association (BIMA) and has proudly served on the board for the past 8+ years.

This first international agency follows a period of growth and investment for PHA, driven by Frosdick and Skinner who were announced as joint MDs in April 2020.

Shelley Frosdick and Stuart Skinner commented: “The launch of Dig & Dig follows 18 months of research and planning and marks a significant moment for the PHA Group. We couldn’t be prouder of the Dig & Dig brand which will be the first of many new agency brands to be a part of the PHA Group.

“Client demand for international support, as well as access to a new market, have been the driving forces behind the launch of Dig & Dig and with Boston offering many thriving sectors and a great talent pool, it is a city we are excited to now call home.

“Our UK offices work collaboratively to deliver integrated solutions to clients and entering the international market with a Digital and Social first agency will give us an edge over competitors with teams across our five office locations working collaboratively to deliver exceptional results for our client partners.

“Finding the right US-based talent to lead the agency was a critical part of our planning and we couldn’t be happier to have Matt and Desiree driving Dig & Dig forward. We will shortly launch a secondment programme for staff across our UK offices to Dig & Dig and look forward to the benefits this will bring employees to learn from colleagues and work collaboratively on projects.

“This is a significant moment in PHA’s growth; we are delighted to become a global group with expert, local networks and look forward to the opportunities that will bring.”

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