Sam Curtis selected to lead Kantar's digital analytics practice

Kantar has appointed Sam Curtis as head of its digital analytics practice to expand the business’s work with major brands. He returns to the firm having left in 2017 to take on senior roles across a number of research and analytics firms.

Speaking on his appointment via LinkedIn, Curtis said, “I am really excited to be ‘coming home’ to Kantar where I began my research career a few “ahem” years ago. Has been amazing to see a few familiar faces but also to meet some new ones as well. It's a business that has made some really positive changes over the last six years.”

Curtis joined Kantar in 2006 as a trainee, eventually working his way up to global data lead of the firm. After 11 years at the company, he accepted a new challenge, taking on senior leadership roles with research firms Moment10, Streetbees and AI video analytics firm Lifestream – where he was most recently CEO.

As he returns to Kantar, Curtis joins the digital analytics team. The practice focuses on making sense of big, unstructured search and social datasets to advise marketers on brand opportunities and consumer engagement.

As head of digital analytics for Kantar UK, he will use his experience working with start-ups and growing software businesses to help Kantar drive its reach in sectors such as technology, healthcare and consumer goods among other areas. In particular, he will look at giving clients a more well-rounded view of consumer trends and how they should respond to them by combining Kantar’s analytics expertise with its wider work across the marketing mix.

Amy Cashman, executive managing director at Kantar’s UK and Ireland insights division, noted, “Sam knows how to develop technology-based businesses and it’s great to welcome him back to the business as we expand our digital analytics offer for clients. Like us, he sees the importance of finding the human insight in the data. Our emphasis is on using tech to get to the heart of how people think, feel and act so that we can be an indispensable partner for brands – guiding them through consumers’ changing priorities and making sure they continue giving people a reason to spend with them.”

Kantar Group is a British professional services firm which has been serving clients since 1992. It has more than 30,000 employees working in 100 countries, having gained independence from design giant WPP in 2019.