VMLY&R appoints Bhavika Rambhai as new Head of Social Media Strategy to deliver best-in-class

VMLY&R New Zealand has appointed Bhavika Rambhai to the role of head of social media strategy.

Bhavika (centre) joins the award-winning agency with a strong background managing large in-house social media strategy and campaigns for Tourism New Zealand, ASB Bank, and Pumpkin Patch – a move that VMLY&R managing director James Mok believes will give them an advantage to deliver better solutions for clients.

Says Mok: “Social media plays a huge role in the work we do for our clients, and our social portfolio continues to grow. In an ever-changing and fast-paced online world, Bhavika brings expertise that gives us a unique perspective into the challenges our clients are facing internally with their brands, and a working style to tackle them.

“Ensuring the client is at the heart of everything we do is essential to delivering social campaigns a cut above the rest of the market. Bhavika’s experience working inside a number of big companies gives a different lens for roadblocks and opportunities, and ability to navigate and activate them more seamlessly.”

Heading up VMLY&R’s social media team, including Jarrod Allen (above left), senior social specialist and digital planner, and Phoebe Joiner (above right), social media specialist, Bhavika oversees all social media campaigns, monitoring, community management and BAU activity for Jaguar and Land Rover, Campari and Aperol, Schick, Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic.

Prior to the move to agency-side, Bhavika was at Tourism New Zealand for four years, where she managed the global social strategy and grew the social community from one million to four million. Bhavika was instrumental in taking New Zealand to a world stage via social advocacy campaigns. Before that, Bhavika was part of ASB’s in-house social media team where she worked on various ground-breaking social campaigns and helped ASB fully realise the capabilities of social media within its business.

Says Bhavika: “I’m really excited to be joining such a credible and passionate agency, and at a pivotal time for the social function where I can really help bring this new vision to life, offering world-class creative solutions that go beyond expectations.

“VMLY&R’s social team is incredibly talented – Jarrod, Phoebe and Holly have so much passion and enthusiasm for social and it shows in the work they deliver – I feel honoured to work alongside them.”

With a long-time passion for social media and a Bachelor of Commerce with first class honours in Marketing, Bhavika is well honed in single-handedly growing online communities, working to ensure campaigns are audience-led and always to best practice.