#37: How James Dale Scaled Sine Digital in Broadway and the West End

Welcome to Agency Business.This week, James Dale, CEO and founder of Sine Group and Sine Digital, joins Olivia on the show.Dale’s path into agency life was anything but conventional. A former musician whose band once played at Glastonbury and toured with Band of Horses, he saw his career collapse when streaming upended the music business and data slipped away from artists. That experience led him to build an agency rooted in performance marketing, conviction-based media, and data ownership.Sine Digital began advising musicians and grew quickly into a 50-person agency serving Broadway and West End productions, music artists, and major arts institutions. Dale explains how the company scaled by building out its own programmatic desk and data warehouse, expanding into connected TV and digital out-of-home, and developing deep relationships with producers and venues. He also reflects on the volatility of project-based work in theater, how the agency manages staffing when shows suddenly close, and why Sine Digital has stayed focused on a specialized niche rather than diversifying into full-service creative.Plus, News of the Week, with analysis of the headlines impacting agencies today:WPP’s leadership shuffle, with Laurent Ezekiel staying on as Ogilvy CEOEmpower acquiring Ocean Media in a significant independent media mergerServiceplan’s MediaPlus hiring its first COO in North AmericaSubscribe to the Agency Business newsletter for episode notes and industry analysis. It's free and comes out every Monday.Reach OutAgency Business features agency CEOs and financial decision-makers alongside third party experts including agency pitch consultants. We are always accepting pitches, and are particularly interested in hearing from women and leaders of color.Email us!📩 Brian at [email protected]📩 Olivia at [email protected] Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.Explore Our Other Podcasts:📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work — plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia's Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.