Iris Hires Melo Meacher-Jones as Head of Social & Influencer, to Bolster "Participate or Perish" Strategy

Jan. 30, 2026

Global creative micro-network Iris has appointed Melo Meacher-Jones as Head of Social & Influencer, as it continues to build out its ‘Participate or Perish’ strategy, in a newly created role that underlines the agency’s continued investment in social and influencer as part of a fully integrated marketing offer.

The hire comes at a time when the way ideas travel has fundamentally changed. Audiences are more selective, channels are more fragmented, and influence is increasingly shaped by culture, communities and creators. Iris’ view is that brands must participate meaningfully across the full marketing ecosystem - including paid, owned and earned activity - or risk irrelevance. This thinking sits at the heart of Iris’ ‘Participate or Perish’ strategy, and social and influencer play a central role alongside brand, performance and paid media in how the agency helps clients deliver it in practice.

Meacher-Jones joins Iris from Accenture Song and Droga5 London, where they most recently held a senior leadership role spanning both businesses, acting as UKI lead for Song Social and later as Head of Social at Droga5 London. In this capacity, they were responsible for setting the strategic direction of social and influencer across the business, building and scaling capability, and embedding social-first, culturally led thinking into integrated campaigns and new business.

Their experience spans leading social-led growth for brands including Suntory, Prada Beauty (L’Oréal), Plusnet, Jaguar Land Rover, Unilever, Glanbia Sports Nutrition and Arla. In their first 12 months at Song, Meacher-Jones won nine new clients and grew the social team to 12 specialists across strategy, creative and influencer.

Prior to agency roles, Meacher-Jones held senior client-side positions at Lidl and Nestlé. At Lidl, they launched the Webby-nominated Lidl merch platform in the UK and led the Lidl Bakery Gold Card campaign. At Nestlé, they launched the UK’s first promoted Pin and the world’s first global 360 live video campaign with Nescafé.

In their role at Iris, Meacher-Jones will lead the agency’s social and influencer offering across strategy, content, creators and commerce, working at domestic, regional and global level. They will bring strong operational and delivery leadership, shaping how Iris delivers social and influencer at scale, with a focus on culturally resonant ideas that drive measurable impact.

Reporting into Zoe Eagle, CEO, and working closely with Rachel Byles, Head of PR & Partnerships, Meacher-Jones will oversee the social team and co-lead a group of culturally focused practitioners across social, PR and partnerships. Together, they will work closely with Iris’ performance and technology teams to deliver integrated marketing that stands apart, rides culture and moves behaviour. Meacher-Jones will also contribute to the London Leaders group, support teams in other markets with pitching, strategy and client delivery, and act as a visible advocate for the discipline, presenting regularly to clients, prospects and the wider industry.

Meacher-Jones’ work has been recognised across the industry. They are a winner of Best Creative at the TikTok Awards for Lidl and Best Integrated Campaign at the UK Social Media Awards for Plusnet, and have also won a Twitter Flight Award. As part of this, they spent time being mentored by the Twitter team in New York.

Alongside their client work, Meacher-Jones is highly active in the wider industry. They have served as a judge for the TikTok Ad Awards and are a regular speaker at major events.

The appointment follows a series of senior hires as Iris continues to strengthen its leadership team. These include the appointment of Charlotte Bruton as Director of Innovation, AI and Technology from Clemenger BBDO / CHE Proximity Australia; Pumie Msengana, who joined as Managing Partner from Modern Citizens; and Erika Van Den Berg, who joined from Accenture Song as Commercial Partner.

Zoe Eagle, CEO, Iris London, said:

“Melo is a rare talent, who naturally embodies the Iris spirit in how they think and work. Having spent time client-side as well as in agency leadership roles, they bring a grounded, practical perspective on what drives real impact for brands. One of the great joys of Iris is bringing amazing people together, and watching sparks fly. I’m excited about what the Melo and Rachel partnership will create.”

 

Melo Meacher-Jones, Head of Social & Influencer, Iris, added:

“What drew me to Iris is its conviction that cultural relevance is earned through participation - not just presence - across channels. As attention fragments and AI-driven sameness erodes creative impact, social platforms are where brands can still feel genuinely human and culturally alive. Iris’ fearless, rule-breaking mindset makes it the right place for me to do that work, and I’m excited to shape how its social and influencer practice drives ideas that deliver real impact for our clients.”