• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, April 5, 2007

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners has picked up Tribal DDB executive Mike Parker as its director of digital strategy. In the newly created position, Parker, 35, will focus on clients' online, search, and mobile strategies.

Goodby and DDB, while both Omnicom Group units, have approached interactive work very differently. While DDB, like most traditional agencies, spun interactive into a separate division--Tribal DDB--Goodby has spent the last two years learning how to best incorporate interactive into every project and campaign.

"The agency has seen a profound shift in the work that it undertakes for our clients," said Derek Robson, Goodby co-managing partner and Parker's immediate boss. "A significant proportion of our work is now interactive or digitally focused."

For Parker, he finds the chance to shape a campaign for its inception appealing. "Instead of there being that sort of baton pass where someone says, 'Hey digital guy, here's a TV idea for you to put online,' now I'm part of the process from the very beginning." Parker--who began his agency career at creative boutique Palmer Jarvis--spent ten years at DDB Canada, the last five of which he spent at the helm of Tribal DDB. There, Parker expanded Tribal's creative team and client roster, as well as opened new offices. Just this week, Goodby won the account of mobile giant Sprint Nextel--a challenge Parker said he is excited to tackle. Goodby also has an ongoing relationship with Google, which last year resulted in a campaign for Saturn involving the search giant's satellite mapping service.

Tribal DDB has undergone some significant management changes of late. At the end of last year, the agency promoted Paul Gunning to president of Tribal DDB East and Elizabeth Ross to president of Tribal DDB West, marking a reorganization of the company's North American division. Both now report to Matt Freeman, CEO of Tribal DDB Worldwide.