The Changemakers

We're stepping back into the world of big brand creativity! In this episode, Dave chats with Omar Fahmi, the creative mastermind behind Virgin Media O2 Business' in-house agency.Ever wondered what it's like to steer creativity in a corporate giant? Omar pulls back the curtain on:The challenge of combining two distinct consumer brands - and adapting them for a business audienceBuilding an agile and motivated in-house agency teamKeeping the creative spark alive in a corporate environmentThe secret sauce behind his team's "family-like" culture (spoiler: it involves innovation days and breaking down silos)Get the inside scoop on balancing short-term wins with long-term brand building, and learn how clear communication keeps this massive creative engine humming.Whether you're a creative leader, senior marketer, or just curious about the inner workings of big tech creativity, this episode is packed with actionable insights and behind-the-scenes stories you won't want to miss.Tune in for a dose of inspiration and a glimpse into the inner workings of in-house creative teams in the B2B tech world.00:00 Welcome to the Change Makers00:51 Introduction to Virgin Media O202:12 The Power of Brand Unification04:01 Clientele and Market Focus05:27 Building an In-House Creative Team07:54 In-House vs. Agency Dynamics14:10 Maintaining Brand Consistency17:01 Innovation and Engagement Strategies23:52 Marketing Team Dynamics24:47 Innovation Day Activities27:04 Showcasing Internal Work31:44 Defining Success for the Team36:45 Building a Creative Culture39:39 Challenges and Opportunities in B2B44:57 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!✌️

Rebrand versus brand evolution. What’s the difference, and how do you determine which is right for you?In this episode of The Changemakers, Dave is joined by Nick Levesque, Creative Director at Asana, to discuss the nuances of evolving a brand expression.As Asana nears the end of its own brand refresh, it was a timely chat about the process. Nick and Dave delve into approaches to evolving brand image, the importance of distinctive brand assets, and the balance between maintaining consistency and fostering creativity.The conversation covers the challenges and strategies involved in refreshing a brand, the role of audience perception, and leveraging research to guide decisions. Nick also illustrates the careful considerations needed to align visual identity with company growth and evolving audience expectations.If you want more pearls from Nick on all things brand and his journey, follow him on LinkedIn here.00:00 Welcome to Changemakers: A Deep Dive into Brand Evolution00:17 Introducing Nick Levesque: The Creative Mind Behind Asana's Brand Evolution02:02 The Essence of Brand Evolution vs. Rebranding03:01 Insider's View: Asana's Approach to Brand Evolution03:38 Signals and Reasons for a Brand Refresh09:25 The Strategy Behind Targeting Different Audiences16:17 The Creative Process and Agency Collaboration in Brand Evolution21:59 Balancing Consistency and Experimentation in Branding24:51 Revamping Brand Imagery: A Creative Journey25:24 The Power of In-House Creativity and Experimentation27:04 Navigating Internal Brand Evolution: Strategies and Challenges28:16 Collaborative Brand Audit: Engaging Teams for Insightful Feedback30:22 Building a Business Case for Creative Projects35:24 Distinctive Brand Assets: Balancing Innovation with Tradition41:37 Reflecting on the Rebranding Process: Achievements and Insights44:56 Dream Rebranding Projects: A Creative Director's PerspectiveSend 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, brought to you by Shaped By - our creative director Tom Ovens lifts the lid on the secret art of sound design by interviewing freelance sound designer, Adam Legg. They delve into the intricacies of sound design including the definition, the process of creation, and the difference between a ‘meh’ sound, and one that’s impactful.Sound design in a B2B space brings so much to the table. It helps to control the pace, brings emotion, and can be a real differentiator. So we unpacked it for those of you interested in how it all works.Adam gives insight into his creative process, balancing sound design with music, and offers a glimpse into how he keeps himself creatively driven. The conversation also veers into the symbiotic relationship between visuals and sound, and how a shift in their traditional sequence can result in a dynamic output.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to The Changemakers Series00:14 Guest Introduction: Adam Legge, Freelance Sound Designer01:21 Deep Dive into the Art of Sound Design01:51 Adam's Perspective on Sound Design03:51 The Role of Music in Sound Design05:32 Adam's Creative Process08:12 The Challenge of Time Management in Sound Design10:10 The Use of Libraries and Starting from Scratch13:05 Sound Design Inspirations and Heroes18:16 Brands Excelling in Sound Design20:35 The Potential of Sound Leading the Creative Process26:11 Closing Remarks and Future CollaborationsSend 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!✌️

Even just a few years back, you would naturally think of pretty much any fintech firm as a challenger brand. A digital disruptor to a financial sector that badly needed disrupting.But today, fintech is fast becoming mainstream, if it isn’t already. And its “challenger brand” tag feels increasingly redundant, given the extent to which many established financial services firms are pivoting what they do to challenge fintech pioneers - especially when it comes to digital, UX and so on.One guest wasn’t going to cut it for such an important discussion. So for this episode, we welcome three amazing design leaders - Aaron Robbs, Creative Director at Ramp, Michael Jeter, Executive Creative Director at Stripe, and Nick Farrar, Founder and Managing Director at Shaped By.Between us, we delve into how great design can help differentiate fintech companies and build robust and memorable brand identities. Across the discussions, we also explore techniques to build trust, the power of design in gamification, and the importance of founder understanding and support in fintech.And guess what? After two years of being an audio-only podcast, you can now watch on YouTube too! Each of this episode’s three discussions is available to view over there, on Shaped By’s brand new channel. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Changes00:16 The Evolution of the Change Makers Podcast01:16 The Role of Brand and Design in Fintech02:43 Interview with Aaron Robbs, Creative Director at Ramp03:56 The Importance of Design Principles and Team Dynamics16:21 The Balance Between Brand and Performance Marketing21:17 Interview with Michael Jeter, Executive Creative Director of Stripe22:57 The Role of Craft, Beauty, and Culture in Branding26:09 The Challenges of Building a Brand Around an Invisible Product26:34 The Challenge of Branding in Fintech27:54 The Role of Design in Branding28:24 The Importance of Craft and Beauty in Branding29:27 The Impact of Company Culture on Branding30:28 Infusing Technology into Branding33:22 The Power of Self-Serve Design Tools35:25 The Role of Founders in Branding35:57 The Future of Design in Fintech39:03 Interview with Nick Farrar, Founder of Shaped By40:30 Building Trust through Design49:29 The Power of Gamification in Fintech55:19 Final Thoughts on Design in FintechSend 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!✌️

Becca Chambers may be an award-winning technology brand-builder, storyteller, strategist and advisor.But when it comes down to the impact that her work has on the people that it touches, her tireless work as a neurodiversity champion and advocate is up there with any of those achievements.Becca has ADHD. She describes it as “a catalyst for my success in the creative world of brand, communications, and messaging”, and one of the driving forces behind her “scrappy get-sh*t-done attitude”.But for every Becca in the workplace, there are countless others who know their neurodivergence is a creative superpower, but don’t have the support or tools they need to thrive in their unique way. Why? Because despite all of the great strides that companies have made around diversity awareness, neurodiversity is rarely included in these conversations.Becca is on a mission to change all of that. As a parent of an autistic child, Changemakers host Dave Corlett is a huge admirer of what she’s doing to make workplaces more accessible to current and future neurodivergent colleagues. So join Dave and Becca as they deep dive into:Becca’s journey to executive level as a neurodivergent individualthe strengths that neurodiverse people bring to the workplacehow Becca has personally influenced and driven positive change at the organisations she’s worked athow the hiring process needs to change to better support neurodiverse candidates…and much more.You’ll love Becca’s infectious enthusiasm from the first minute. The best way to get more of it, and follow her journey as a neurodiversity champion, is to follow her on LinkedIn here.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!✌️

“I don’t need much sleep. And I love to take on a good challenge.”Take one look at Christian Flaccus’ resumé, and it’s clear to see that both of these things are very true indeed.He founded his first business, an e-commerce startup, in 1997 - then swiftly went and set up his own agency (whilst still remaining on his startup’s board). Not content with that, at various points during his agency life Christian also started a record label (Brave & Dizzy Records), opened (and closed) one of the first global street art online shops, and co-founded an incubator and house for dedicated dev teams for cloud-based SaaS projects called co.brick.Brave & Dizzy and co.brick are still Christian’s side-hustles. But since early 2021, his main focus has been spearheading brand design excellence at Celonis - Germany’s most valuable startup, and a pioneer in the hugely exciting and fast-growing field of process mining technology.As the company’s Chief Design Officer, Christian has taken the Celonis brand on an epic journey of disruption. But voyages like this aren’t undertaken alone. Disruption is uncomfortable for some people, and downright scary for others. So how do you bring everyone along on the journey, in ways that don’t just help them to understand why the company needs a disruptive brand - but gets them to fully buy into it, so they carry the torch as well?Join Dave and Christian as they go deep into why game-changing technology needs game-changing branding to match - and how to get your team to tune in and enjoy it in the same way that you enjoy crafting it.For more info on Celonis, check them out at celonis.de. And make sure you follow Christian on LinkedIn - he’s a really top guy and well worth connecting with. 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!✌️

Ari Yablok is the Head of Brand at Island, the Enterprise Browser. If that sounds like a pretty simple description of what Island does, then there’s a very deliberate reason for that. And it’s a reason that has seen Dave fall completely in love with the brand strategy, identity, narrative and messaging that Ari has created for this Israeli startup that is going global pretty rapidly.Everything about Island exudes simplicity. The idea behind the product. The product itself. The experience of using it. The problem it solves. It’s easy, clear and stress-free. And this is all reflected perfectly in the simple, clean, zen-like brand experience that it’s all wrapped up in, and which entices you with its beautifully uncomplicated and supremely confident attitude.But don’t think for a second that the process of developing it was simple. It took a serious investment of strategic work, along with a heavy dose of boldness from Island’s founders to choose a path so unlike any other company in their space.Dave has been a long-time fan and admirer, both of Island and of Ari’s approach to crafting strategic narratives, end-to-end messaging and brand identities for tech companies in general - which he did for 50+ firms during his previous role at the B2B agency Atreo.So join us for another episode of fanboying as he chats with Ari on:the story of Island’s brand development, from first conversation to nowthe thinking behind its distinctive ethos and visual identityhow he and the Island team bring it to life in a differentiated way at live eventsthe challenge of evolving the brand as the company evolvesthe role of Island’s founders in the whole processThis is more than a story about an interesting brand. It’s an inspirational journey into the magic that happens when visionary founders and brand experts team up before a company has even launched, and build the brand alongside the product.Find out more about Island here, and follow Ari’s work on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok.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!✌️

Following staggering revenue growth of 46,000% between 2018 and 2021, cybersecurity asset management Axonius was unsurprisingly named as the fastest-growing cybersecurity company in America by Deloitte in 2022.That’s pretty damn awesome. But it also presented a very familiar problem that high-growth companies tend to face. They scale so quickly, with such a focus on perfecting the product and the platform, that the task of also building a cohesive brand message and narrative takes a bit of a back seat.It’s understandable. But there comes a point where it’s a major issue. And when Kaite Rosa joined the business as Senior Director of Brand in 2020, she immediately identified that it was becoming one.So alongside CMO Nathan Burke, she set about fixing the problem. And the way they went about it makes for quite a story.Join Dave and Kaite as they discuss:how Kaite and her team crafted a simple, human, relatable brand messagehow they landed gymnastics icon Simone Biles as a brand partner to help spread that messagewhy Simone and Axonius’ other athlete partners embody the spirit of Axonius’ brandhow those collaborations, plus the close collaborative spirit of Kaite and Nathan’s team, drive long-term success for Axoniuswhy it’s so important to build such distinct brand narratives in crowded markets like cybersecurityThis is a conversation that will inspire any brand or marketing leaders out there who are struggling to make their brand stand out in cluttered markets.So dive in and enjoy. And go follow Kaite on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest from Axonius’ remarkable brand journey - which is certainly not slowing down any time soon.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!✌️

It’s time for another chat with one of our fellow agency buddies - and in the hotseat this week is the wonderful Kirsty Jarvis, founder and CEO of tech-specialist communications firm Luminous PR.We’ve recently been getting to know the Luminous team through our shared love of working with game-changing technology businesses. Their approach to building B2B brands and driving growth through tailored communications strategies is pretty impressive. So we were delighted when Kirsty agreed to take time out of her busy schedule to take us behind the scenes of how they do it.Join Dave and Kirsty as they sit down to discuss:why PR is so important to early-stage startupshow Luminous’ approach differs for more established firms versus startupsthe key trends and developments in the world of PR right nowwhy it pays to be creative when devising a comms strategy that cuts through the clutterhow PR strategies are changing for tech firms in the current climate of profitability and sustainability, versus the last couple of years of free capital and growth at all costs…and plenty more! If you like the sound of Luminous and what they do (and why wouldn’t you, they’re seriously good PR experts) follow Kirsty on LinkedIn here, and find out more about the agency on their website.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!✌️

Aaron Poe is a man who knows a thing or two about brand design. During his time in the agency world, he gave the Beats by Dre brand the distinctive identity that helped it get acquired by Apple. He led the 2018 rebrand of fintech giant Checkout.com, and the more recent evolution of the Square brand identity.Now, as head of Zapier’s brand studio, his esteemed talents are being put to great use in leading the roll-out of the rapidly-growing automation firm’s new visual identity.It’s a fun job for a creative leader who loves pushing boundaries and expanding concepts into new realms. But it’s also a big job. Alongside the guidelines and principles Aaron and his team are building out around type, colour, motion and brand architecture, the company is in the process of launching a steady stream of new products - all of which must fit creatively into these newly crafted systems.So how’s that process going? What inspired Aaron to step away from his previous role and take this on as a challenge? And crucially, as Zapier is becoming an increasingly AI-driven company, how is Aaron harnessing the latest AI tools to make that big job a little less big?Join Dave and Aaron to find out all that and much more, including Aaron’s opinion on the future of AI-driven creative development, and where someone as experienced as he is goes to find their creative inspiration.It’s a cracking conversation. If you agree, let us know over on our LinkedIn page. And go follow Aaron on LinkedIn for the latest out of the super-talented Zapier brand studio.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!✌️