The Changemakers

Here's another of our Byte-Size episodes! These are little chats between the team at Shaped By, sometimes about creativity in B2B, sometimes about something completely different.In this one, Alex Waite (Strategy Director) sits down with Justin Ballantine (Associate Creative Director, Messaging) to talk brand voice in an AI-saturated world.They cover where AI helps and where it falls short. Why human nuance still matters. And how brands can keep their voice distinct when everyone’s automating everything.They don’t pretend to have all the answers, but it’s an honest take on the tension between speed, scale and soul.Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 00:47 – What AI’s good at (and what it’s not) 01:28 – Welcome JB 02:52 – What is brand voice, anyway? 05:49 – How AI is shifting the game 09:01 – The risks of removing the human 12:13 – Where this might be heading 15:05 – Why authenticity isn’t optional 16:09 – Audience > output 16:20 – Emotion, intent, and context 16:56 – A quiet comeback for long-form? 18:09 – Storytelling and the limits of machines 20:31 – Why your brand still needs you 21:48 – Keeping creativity alive 25:49 – Dodging the content fatigue trap 26:53 – Wrapping up: trust, tone, and the human edgeSend us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Our guest on this episode of The Changemakers is Chris Silvestri, also known as The Conversion Alchemist.With a background as a software engineer in industrial automation, Chris made a sharp turn into digital marketing, bringing a unique perspective to his work as a SaaS message-market fit specialist and conversion copywriter for B2B SaaS brands like Moz since 2016.Chris explains to Dave why Series A to C companies often struggle to differentiate their messaging and get lost in the crowd, detailing how his work helps them stand out by making their value impossible to ignore. He clarifies the crucial distinctions between positioning, messaging, and copy, highlighting the common pitfalls of skipping vital research and strategy steps.Dave and Chris discuss the typical mistakes B2B tech companies make in their messaging, such as lacking a unique point of view, failing to address different personas within the decision-making unit, and leading with "what you are" instead of "what people need,".Finally, Chris discusses the transformative impact of AI tools on his approach, from research to copy generation and even synthetic user testing.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to the Change Makers Podcast00:58 Introducing Chris Silvestri and Conversion Alchemy01:32 Diving into Messaging Strategies07:33 Challenges and Mistakes in B2B Messaging10:28 Effective Messaging and Copywriting18:21 Companies Excelling in Messaging22:24 Building a Brand Through Messaging23:20 Research Framework for Messaging Strategy24:01 Gathering and Analyzing Data25:18 Understanding User Experience and Qualitative Data31:21 Evaluating and Testing Messaging Effectiveness33:03 The Role of AI in Messaging Strategy40:37 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsSend us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

In this episode of The Changemakers, Dave is joined by David Wall, Creative Director at Tines and President of the Institute of Designers in Ireland.David shares his unique career trajectory, moving from agency and independent studio practice to leading in-house brand design for a fast-growing tech company. He delves into the parallels between running a boutique studio and his current role at Tines, emphasising the ownership and learning opportunities inherent in both.David also discusses what drew him to Tines – a workflow automation and AI orchestration platform – and how their brand messaging stands apart in the cybersecurity space by focusing on the positive outcomes of automation. We explore Tines' culture of empowering designers with significant autonomy, where collaboration means seeking meaningful input rather than permission, and how this fosters rapid progress and innovation. David also sheds light on the seamless integration between brand and product design at Tines, highlighting shared goals for design quality and the benefits of close proximity to product development. He underscores how design's value is deeply ingrained in Tines' leadership, evident from their earliest hires.For agency creatives considering an in-house role, David offers practical advice on assessing organisational structure and ensuring design has a strong voice. Finally, he shares insights into his impactful work with the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI), where he champions design advocacy and policy.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to the Podcast00:53 Guest Introduction: David Wall from Tines01:12 Meeting at RSA Conference01:42 David's Transition from Agency to In-House02:06 Brand and Product Design Collaboration06:06 David's Role and Responsibilities at Tines12:25 The Importance of Autonomy in Design19:11 Leadership and Design Culture at Tines32:18 Advice for Designers Moving In-House41:36 Involvement with the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI)44:16 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsSend us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

In this episode of The Changemakers, Dave chats with Rachel Gogel, a seasoned creative executive consultant. Having built brands at titans like The New York Times, Meta, and Airbnb, Rachel knows a thing or two about transforming brand from a 'nice-to-have' into a vital business engine, and dives into her diverse career journey, from her graphic design roots to her current role as a fractional design leader and educator.For creative leaders, Rachel offers invaluable advice on getting brand taken seriously. She champions speaking the language of business, focusing on metrics like user retention and conversion rates rather than just aesthetics. And she passionately champions in-product brand experiences, explaining how a strong brand isn't just about aesthetics, but about creating seamless, intuitive interactions within the product itself.Drawing on her experiences, Rachel shares how to speak the language of executives, connecting brand initiatives to tangible outcomes like user retention, conversion rates, and lifetime value. She also shares the story behind her recent SXSW London panel, "Crafting Magic: The Art of Product", featuring fellow design leaders from Dropbox, Slack and Anthropic.The conversation also explores the unique brand approach at Airbnb, where design and brand are valued from the very top. Rachel explains how to scale brand across diverse organisations, stressing that strong relationships and clear roles trump rigid org charts. She tackles the tricky balance of maintaining consistency while allowing teams to move fast.Finally, we get into practical tips for leaders navigating competing priorities, including internal education, piloting ideas, and the power of user research in validating branded moments. Ultimately, Rachel advocates a powerful mindset shift: moving beyond brand as decoration to brand as experience, recognising that product and brand are inseparable in the user's mind.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction and Welcome Rachel Gogel01:52 Rachel's Diverse Career Journey and Fractional Leadership06:50 SXSW London Panel: In-Product Brand Experiences10:30 Advocating for Brand with Executive Teams13:14 Brand as a Business Critical Function: Lessons from NYT & Meta20:00 The Airbnb Approach to Brand and Design26:22 Scaling Brand Across Organisations and Best Practices34:10 Essential Qualities for Creative Leaders44:30 Beyond Decoration: Brand as ExperienceSend us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Melissa Rosenthal, co-founder of Outlever and a former creative lead at ClickUp, shares her insights on transforming B2B branding through dynamic thought leadership. She emphasizes the shift from traditional media models to amplifying voices of subject matter experts and customers. Melissa discusses how AI can enhance content creation while preserving the essential human touch. With a focus on building trust and relevance, she challenges companies to rethink outdated strategies and embrace innovative, authentic approaches to stand out in a crowded market.

Here’s another of our Byte-Size episodes! These are little chats between the team at Shaped By, sometimes about creativity in B2B, sometimes about something completely different.In this one, Nick Farrar, Founder and CEO of Shaped By, and Jess Evans, Head of Delivery, get into B Corp. Why did we become a B Corp? What does it mean for us as an agency? And what’s next, both for us and for B Corp more broadly? They cover everything from the certification process to the ongoing work of embedding B Corp values in a way that actually makes a difference - not just a badge for the website.00:00 Introduction to the podcast00:15 Why Shaped By became a B Corp02:03 What B Corp means to us04:25 The role of SMEs in driving change06:48 The certification process - how tough was it?10:14 Where we did well (and where we could improve)14:29 What we’ve done in our first year as a B Corp17:02 Plans for 2025 and beyond21:18 The bigger picture: what’s next for B Corp?24:41 Embedding B Corp values into agency life27:05 Wrapping upSend us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Motion design is often the unsung hero of brand and product storytelling - especially in B2B tech. But what does it take to bring complex, sometimes ‘unsexy’ products to life? And how can you move beyond one-off animations and build a scalable, strategic motion system that strengthens a brand over time?First, Joshua Baron, Senior Brand Designer – Motion at Jasper, shares his approach to crafting motion systems that bring clarity to intricate products, the balance between abstraction and realism in design, and the evolving role of AI in motion.Then, Peter Dickinson, Head of Motion at Skyscanner, dives into the power of motion systems at scale, how consistency builds brand trust, why motion should have a seat at the table from day one, and how to develop flexible guidelines that adapt across platforms.If you’re a motion designer, marketer, or creative looking to sharpen your approach to motion in branding, this episode is packed with insights on both the craft and strategy of motion design.Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Welcome to another byte-size episode! In this one, Dave and Alex, Shaped By's marketing director, chat about the upcoming webinar on the challenges of working with founders to build a strong brand. They cover the common roadblocks - like navigating emotional attachments, getting buy-in from disengaged founders, and aligning leadership on brand direction.They also introduce the expert panel joining the webinar:• Kira Klaas – VP of Corporate Marketing at Later• Tim Bauer – Director of Brand Experience at Scale AI• Tom Ovens – Creative Director at Shaped ByIf you work with founders this session is packed with insights on turning vision into a brand that actually works in the market. To join the conversation register here: https://shaped-by.com/building-a-founder-led-b2b-brand/And here's the link to Kira Klass's brilliant Substack 'On Brand': https://kiraklaas.substack.com/Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

So here it is, the first ever “Part 2” in the history of The Changemakers. And it’s nothing less than a pleasure to bestow that honour on our guest, Carta’s creative lead Dave Breckon.In Part 1, our Dave’s (we’ll call him Dave C) conversation with Dave B explored his wonderfully diverse career path, delving into the various lessons he learnt as he wound his way from the cobbled streets of Brighton to the bright lights of London, Madrid, Copenhagen, New York and San Francisco.Part 2 sees Dave and Dave hooking up again to discuss how those experiences have shaped Dave B’s perspectives on design and creativity.Their conversation touches on a range of subjects including managing in-house teams, fostering a culture of kindness, the evolving role of agencies, the application of AI in the creative process, and the challenges of scaling a brand in the dynamic fintech industry. They also delve into the nuances of building brand consistency while adapting to rapid changes in the market.If you haven't checked out Part 1, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/kpPkTFYqHRESend us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Most of our previous episodes to date on The Changemakers have focused on a particular area of B2B tech marketing or branding that has the power to be elevated by creativity.For this one, we’re taking a bit of a departure from that, and going deep into one creative leader’s journey. Why? Because it’s equally inspiring, especially for designers out there who may not have everything figured out just yet!Dave Breckon is Creative Lead at the fintech firm Carta. In this episode, our Dave chats with his namesake about his rather unconventional career path, from growing up in a creative family, starting out in photography, working in various studios in the UK and Spain, transitioning from freelance work to in-house roles at tech firms in Europe and the US.Listen to Dave’s story, and you start to understand the importance of adapting to different cultures, embracing uncertainty, and fostering collaboration. It also offers valuable advice for aspiring designers on navigating the design industry and finding personal fulfilment in their careers.And the great news? This is only part one! In part two, we delve into how Dave’s career has shaped his perspective on the current design and creative landscape. Just like this one, it’s not to be missed.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction and Warm Welcome01:07 Early Career and Creative Beginnings01:52 Family Influence and Creative Environment09:06 Passion for Photography and Education13:20 First Steps into Design and Freelancing16:21 Transition to Design Studios and Learning20:35 Life in Spain and Career Growth24:20 Return to the UK and Agency Work27:14 Embracing Startup Culture33:46 High Salaries and Remote Work Challenges34:45 Creative Company Culture and Remote Events35:56 Transition from Office to Remote Work38:36 Cultural Differences in Work Environments46:58 Career Journey and Mentorship01:01:29 Advice for Aspiring Designers01:05:33 Conclusion and Future Discussions Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️