"Hello" Launched in UK as Sister Agency to We Are Social, AnalogFolk's Matt Roberts Hired as Managing Director

Aug. 12, 2024

We Are Social has today announced that Matt Roberts has been appointed as UK managing director of Hello, a sister agency to We Are Social that specialises in culture-focused strategies and creative campaigns for entrepreneurial brands. 

Hello has been launched as a result of demand from brands looking for agencies with expertise in culture and social media. It has a team of 10 in the UK, and a client roster that includes social platform TikTok and mobile gaming developer Supercell. 

Roberts joined Hello in August and will be responsible for overseeing and driving the agency’s growth strategy, with a view to bringing ambitious, forward-thinking clients into the business. He will also lead, grow and develop the Hello team in order to deliver its key capabilities; culture-focused strategy, creative and production. 

Previously Client Services Director at AnalogFolk, Roberts oversaw the agency’s client services department, working with brands such as Diageo, Meta, Costa Coffee, and Arsenal Football Club, where he helped develop a new Membership proposition. Prior to AnalogFolk, Roberts held senior roles in Prodigious and Publicis Poke, and in 2021 he launched Publicis’ UK gaming offering. A committed inclusion advocate, Roberts has helped develop new DE&I strategies for AnalogFolk for the past two years.

Hello operates separately from We Are Social and offers bespoke culture-driven campaigns and tailored social to fast-growth industries and entrepreneurial brands. The Shoreditch-based Hello UK office is the third to launch, following Italy in 2019, where Hello now has a team of 80, and the U.S. earlier this year. It is part of the Plus Company network of forward-thinking creative agencies, which includes We Are Social, Cossette, Citizen Relations and Mekanism. 

Roberts commented:

“Hello has a real desire to disrupt the market. We have the opportunity - as a business spun out of the world’s largest social agency - to take on board everything that has made We Are Social a success and put our own mark on it. I’ve always enjoyed developing new propositions, capabilities and relationships, and I’m excited to lead the team at Hello to make unique and impactful work for our clients.”

 

Jim Coleman, regional lead for the UK and US at Plus Company, UK chief executive at We Are Social commented:

“The launch of Hello in the UK is an important milestone in the expansion of our socially-led, culture-first offering to brands. It offers the advantages of an agile and culture obsessed team with the backing of a global network. We’re delighted that Matt has decided to join us to lead Hello - his passion for building a successful business was clear. I’m looking forward to seeing him make an impact.”