F1 Social Media Chief Launches Agency

The former head of Red Bull Racing’s social digital David Granger is looking to help businesses get their own social media up to speed with the launch of a new agency Bell+Watson.

Granger joined Red Bull’s Formula One marketing operations in 2005, the team’s first season in F1. 

After launching The Red Bulletin’s website in 2007, Granger moved on to the Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso teams as digital manager and, as well as running redbullracing.com, launched all their social media channels, growing the fanbase in line with Red Bull Racing’s progression up the grid to double world-champion status. 

In 2011/12 Red Bull Racing had the highest number of Likes on Facebook in the F1 Paddock while its Twitter followers increased by more than 180%. 

Commenting on his move, Granger said: ‘It’s been a privilege to work with such a progressive brand and within such a successful team. We were quick off the mark in the Paddock in social media terms, and learnt quickly what works and what doesn’t. But – for me – the time feels right to take what I’ve learnt within a global sport and challenge myself further.’ 

He is joined on the Bell+Watson board by several senior agency figures: Phil Wright – former CEO of Big Communications and Fuse digital, and Chapter founders Mike Rose, Ian Boulter and Martin Heffernan.

Granger continued: ‘Having been a client for many years, you get to see the very good, the slightly bad and the occasionally ugly when it comes to agencies. Bell+Watson has a new take on how the agency model can work. Just as social media is changing the game in marketing, so we want to help businesses change their game using social media – with engaging content at its core. It’s going to be an exciting ride.’

Bell+Watson will work across the whole Social Media spectrum and across all business sectors. 

‘There’s clearly an affinity with sporting franchises and we hope to continue working in this field, but we’re already working with businesses in very different sectors,’ concluded Granger. ‘What’s important to us is that we can make a difference to the brands and businesses we work with. And for it to be fun. For both parties.’

Bell+ Watson has won accounts in its first week of trading and, according to the agency, will be announcing these in the near future.