Bill Dennett is Regional Team Lead for Uber Advertising. With over 13 years of experience working in out-of-home, publishing, digital and commerce media, at Uber Advertising he is responsible for leading sales efforts across the UK’s regions outside of London.
Who is your digital hero?
Chris Turner, Managing Partner, Head of Programmatic Services UK, & Digital Investment, EssenceMediacom.
What have they done to win hero status in your eyes?
Aside from being one of the good guys in media, Chris has made a significant impact on the digital industry in a number of meaningful ways. On a personal level, Chris has been an invaluable mentor throughout my career.
When I was looking to transition into a digital role, he generously took the time, despite his busy schedule, to walk me through the ins and outs of the digital media landscape. People always speak highly of Chris – not just for how much he knows, but for how down-to-earth and easy he is to work with.
How has his heroism helped drive digital?
Chris shares my belief that there is a wealth of talent within the regional media industry and is deeply committed to fostering its growth. His passion for elevating the regional market’s reputation has driven meaningful change.
Notable examples include leading EssenceMediacom North to become the first GroupM agency to achieve IAB Gold Standard accreditation, playing a key role in establishing IAB’s Northern Group to strengthen industry presence in the region, and contributing to the successful onboarding and delivery of innovative digital solutions for key clients, such as Universal Pictures – one of GroupM’s top 10 UK accounts – through a geo-agnostic service model.
What are the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
These days, consumers are constantly surrounded by advertising, no matter where they go or what they’re doing. With so many messages competing for attention, one of the biggest challenges modern marketers face is capturing and holding attention. To tackle this, we need digital heroes who prioritise attention.
At Uber, we’re focused on ensuring that our in-app ad experiences are native and additive. This approach leads to higher levels of attention and, most importantly, increased ROI. A recent Lumen study found that Uber’s tailored ads generated 5.5 seconds of attention per 1000 impressions – considerably higher than the 1.3 second average for mobile display.
Additionally, Uber’s ads deliver an impressive £29.37 in incremental profit per 1000 impressions, highlighting the need for more digital heroes to prioritise attention as a proxy for success.
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
It’s estimated that around 4 million people in the UK are caring for an elderly parent. Until recently, I was one of them, supporting my Dad part-time alongside my Mum and brothers. I’m passionate about raising awareness of the growing challenge so many face in balancing paid work with unpaid caregiving.
Alongside my day job, I’m a member of the NABS North West Committee, which supports the wellbeing of those in the regional advertising and media industry.
Recently, I worked with NABS to help introduce content into their coaching syllabus specifically for managing working carers – a small but meaningful step towards recognising the challenges many in our industry are quietly navigating.
