About
Pairing, work in progress, plaster, 2021
An artistic approach
I am both a communications consultant and an artist. It sounds unusual but it makes sense once you know I am obsessed with connection. How we relate to one another, the signals people send, the interactions we engineer. And how, so often, in the search for new and exciting, we cling on too tight to what we know, stifling the possibility for the unknown to play a part and shed light on what feels truest to you.
I worked for 20 years agency side, on campaigns for the likes of American Express, HSBC, Selfridges and Havana Club. But underneath all the theory and tightly controlled execution, I learnt what feels good is often what works best. Intuition often doesn’t have a seat at most business meetings, yet time and again it plays a large part in creating better communications.
To make art, I have to be an expert at holding space in the unknown. Looking, making, experimenting. Letting things unfold without judgement. This sensibility and sensitivity helps me support solo business owners navigating their own unknown.
It's also what led me here, to found Rogue Matters, as a vehicle to share what I’m good at, with people I’m interested in and initiatives I value. I’m fascinated by people and it's logical that I’m drawn to fellow risk takers who want to create better realities. I love sharing my experience while also being a student, always learning from insights that can leap from unexpected places.
My training ground
I spent two decades building bridges between brands and their audiences, first at M&C Saatchi and then at The Future Laboratory. My wheelhouse was big international brands; American Express, Bottega Veneta, HSBC, Pernod Ricard, New Look. I nurtured relationships and uncovered insights that made interesting stories for the likes of the FT, The Sunday Times, Wallpaper and Mashable. Everything was about positioning the brand to attract attention and transactions.
What I really loved was uncovering nuances and figuring out how to make sense of things without removing interesting edges. And doing so in a clear, cohesive way to shape the relevance and resonance that underpins winning communications strategies. The part about encouraging people to buy stuff they didn't need…not so much :/
Gradually the shine wore off. I’d become part of a system that wasn’t serving me, let alone customers increasingly framed as consumers, not citizens. I’d be lying if I said leaving was easy; losing the security of The Big Job was hard. But necessity is the mother of invention. It gave me the freedom to question what really matters and experiment with former clients who were also breaking free. I’m proud they were the first to bring their business to Rogue Matters.
Perhaps unsuprisingly, there’s an exception to every rule. I am proud to be a roaming Insights Director for The Youth Lab at Thinkhouse, a youth marketing company doing transformational work worldwide.
Why Rogue Matters
The old systems of control, commerce and one-way broadcasts don’t fit with today’s fast pace, polarised desires and shifting priorities. We’re challenging ourselves to explore other ways - raise your hand if you want to do better.
This creative comms practice is part of a wider community of independent talent, such as designers, writers and coders, who we connect with if you need a broader range of services. There’s no commission, just introductions to good people who can help.
How do you know if Rogue Matters could be right for you? The answer is in what unites us. Wanting to show up authentically, not performing. Knowing that difference matters. That you can’t yet explain how and why this comes to life in your brand. All this is what I’m here for. To create distinctive, disruptive stories. So you can fall in love with talking about your business, take it out into the world, and feel the love right back.
If this speaks to you, let me know.