[Interview] Lucas Nutbey, SVP Strategy EMEA, DEPT

Lucas Nutbey is a senior strategist at DEPT, one of the world’s fastest-growing digital agencies, where he helps align the company’s global digital-first philosophy with the diverse needs of EMEA markets.

Under his leadership, DEPT combines strong technical expertise, creative storytelling and AI-powered innovation to help brands navigate digital transformation, connect with younger audiences, and unlock growth in both established and emerging markets.

He spoke to Marketing Report.

How do you align DEPT’s global digital-first philosophy with the unique needs of EMEA markets?

Our promise as DEPT has always been integrated services: we can cover the full customer journey: experience, engineering, media, and creative. In EMEA, the challenge is complexity: different markets, cultures, and maturity levels.

My role is to make our offering more integrated and scalable across these countries. We focus on understanding local dynamics, but bring the entrepreneurial, digital-first mindset DEPT is known for globally. We work in ecosystems with other partners when needed, but our strength is that we can deliver more than just advertising. We go deeper into technology and product thinking.

DEPT has been one of the fastest-growing digital agencies in Europe and globally. What do you believe is at the core of its success?

Entrepreneurship is key. We are 4,000 people, but almost 200 shareholders; that creates commitment. Many of us, including myself, have invested personally. It changes the mindset: you think and act like an owner. Combine that with strong digital DNA, technical depth, and creative capability, and you have a powerful mix. We are not just “the best creative” or “the best media shop,” but we understand our clients’ businesses often better than they understand themselves.

How is AI reshaping the way strategy is approached at DEPT—from consumer research to content optimisation?

We see AI as the next wave in a 20-year digital transformation. Now, much of the discussion is hype and short-term, but the real impact will be on culture and systems. AI can change consumer research, content generation, and optimisation—but the hard part is embedding it into teams and client organisations. We talk about this a lot internally: the tech is there, but adoption and mindset are the challenge.

What are some market-specific trends in the EMEA region that you think global strategists often overlook?

Retail media is underappreciated. Many brands still treat .com channels as pure sales platforms, while they can be strategic marketing and brand-building tools. Also, European markets differ greatly: what works in the UK or Nordics is often a year ahead of the Netherlands or Southern Europe. Global strategists sometimes forget that speed and digital maturity vary widely.

Which emerging markets in EMEA are you most excited about from a strategic and digital transformation standpoint?

While Western Europe remains our core, we see exciting momentum in Central and Eastern Europe. Markets like Poland and Romania are growing fast, with strong tech talent and ambitious brands looking to leapfrog stages of digital maturity. The Middle East is also interesting: the scale of investment and appetite for digital transformation there is unlike anything else in the region. For us, these markets are less about size today and more about the pace of change and openness to new models.

How are you evolving creative strategy to engage younger audiences—especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha?

Younger audiences are platform natives; they value speed, authenticity, and purpose. For us, it means thinking less in campaigns and more in content ecosystem,social-first, community-driven, and data-informed. We invest in creativity that feels native to TikTok, YouTube, and emerging channels, blending tech and storytelling. And importantly, we focus on scale: it’s not about one big moment but hundreds of micro-moments that build connection over time.

What are your top three strategic trends to watch in 2025 across EMEA?

AI and automation are embedded into marketing but balanced with human creativity.

Retail media and commerce platforms are becoming key brand channels.

Integration: clients expect fewer silos and more end-to-end partnerships, spanning tech, media, and creative.

How will DEPT evolve its service offerings in the next 3-5 years?

We already operate across four pillars: Experience, Engineering, Media, and Creative. Growth will come from deeper integration of these, scaling globally, and working with larger international clients. We want to do more for fewer, bigger accounts covering multiple pillars. Examples include bol, Lufthansa, and Logitech, where we do design, social, and marketing. Expect more product and platform work, more tech and AI, not just campaigns.

If you could change one thing about the digital marketing industry, what would it be?

There is still too much focus on traditional advertising formats and TVCs. The landscape has shifted, but many briefs still default to the old model. I’d like to see more openness to complexity: using social, retail media, platforms, and CRM. Not just campaigns. The industry can be too short-term and hype-driven; we need more structural change and bravery from CMOs.

www.deptagency.com