ZIP

Rogue thinking, rapid brand strategy, award-winning storytelling, and real growth.

Hello. I'm Gellan Watt.

I have worked with many of the world's most famous brands, brightest start-ups and brilliant challengers. I help them take shape, launch, reimagine, reposition, create, bond, invent, monetise, connect, and grow. I focus on rapid outcomes, breaking down barriers, changing behaviours and increasing real brand value.

If you would like to discuss the potential of working together get in touch.

What I do

What I do.

I get new or reimagined brands, and their stories, into market faster and better, with Rapid Brand Prototyping and Rapid Creative Strategy.

RAPID STRATEGY AND
BRAND TRANSFORMATION

Using sprint methodology, I work with brands worldwide on all areas of rapid transformational strategy. Identity (name, look and feel, story), proposition (what makes us unique), future-fit (where should we be headed), multi-geo campaigns (what do we say), business case for new products and services (what else could we do), audience hypothesis (rapid segmentation) and concept/strategy validation (will it work).

BRAND PROTOTYPING:
RAPID INSIGHT, IDEATION & EXECUTION

If you want to get in market or testing at rapid pace, with a new identity, name, messaging, product, service, audience hypothesis, or message - you need specialist support to cut the corners that don’t cut the quality of your efforts. Using agile and sprint based methods, I've taken products from ideation (new name, packaging, websites, advertising and content) onto supermarket shelves in ten days. Yes, really.

AWARD-WINNING CREATIVE DIRECTION AND STORYTELLING

It take a brilliant understanding of your audience and more than you fair share of bravery to create successful content or campaigns that cut through at scale. It's what some call ‘mass intimacy’ - creating stories, content and experiences that, while they’re enjoyed by many, feel powerful, compelling, unique and utterly personal.

BRAND DESIGN:
STRATEGY, NAMING & IDENTITY

Delivering the full (or part of) brand creation process – naming, identity development, guidelines, guardianship, customer experience design, propositions, customer research and market research for brands that want to be impossible to ignore, at a time when it becoming increasingly hard to stand out.

BRAND (AND AGENCY)
PROPOSITION DEVELOPMENT

Whatever your product of service (brand or agency), a brutally simple and razor sharp proposition is the key to rapid adoption and growth, better understanding, increasing levels of loyalty and a distinctive market position. Workshops, strategy, ideation and delivery.

START-UP AND SCALE
CONSULTING

For ambitious start-ups I create rapid identities, campaigns, growth plans, strategies and tools using my HAX® Growth System - designed to find the fastest and most profitable ways to grow. It's rapid heavyweight growth hacking, from the ground up.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER, ADVISORY, NON-EXEC AND AGENCY TROUBLESHOOTING

Straight-talking, growth-focused advisory and governance for ambitious brands and entrepreneurs that want to deepen their board-level marketing, communications, brand, commercial strategy and growth expertise. Sprint-based troubleshooting for agencies worldwide. Panels and keynote speeches for brand, culture, growth, mental health, and addiction. Speeches for charities, addiction or mental health are free of charge.

My Story

My Story.

Do great work.

I do Brand Transformation - real (not incremental) value creation and growth. Reimagining the way brands are conceived, created, designed and communicated, with Rapid Brand Prototyping™ and breakthrough creativity.

Essentially, bold ideas, sprint-based lean strategy, trend smashing, assumption shattering, and rogue thinking for all areas of business.

A brutally simple focus. No time wasted. And no BS. No-one will get any brand into market faster, better or more informed.

My clients are global brands, market leaders, or startups looking for breakthrough thinking, and have included: Caterpillar, John Lewis, Apple, Barbour, Marshall, Mizuno, Heineken, Wyke Farms, David Beckham, Pinterest, Ovo, uSwitch, Westfield, lastminute.com, and leading house builders, finance/fintechs, pharmas, luxury brands and many more.

In 2003, I founded a creative agency that went on to become a (RAR) Top Ten Agency regular, Marketing Industry UK Agency of The Year and the UK's Best in Advertising, Effectiveness, Digital and Strategy.

I later merged that business with The Emerge Group, where my partners and I grew to the 12th largest independent marketing group in the UK (consisting of 8 agency brands, £60m t/o) successfully exiting the business in 2016 by trade sale and MBO.

During this time I also held a board role for AMIN Worldwide (the global independent agency network). The network includes over 50 agencies, operating in 30 countries, employing over 3,000 people.

Following the successful sale of The Emerge Group and its agencies early in 2016, I now work direct with ambitious brands seeking proven commercial thinking, big ideas, and high-growth strategy.

Along the way I have collected some interesting accolades including: Marketing Industry Managing Director of the Year, Media’s Top 15 Power Faces, Marketing Power 100, and numerous creative awards.

I am eternally optimistic. Straight talking. I drive change. Build strong cultures and great teams. Work fast. I love a challenge.

And I have a simple philosophy, do great work.

My Approach

Approach.

In a world of "Similar people, doing similar things, making similar products and services, at similar prices" standing out is more important than ever.

Do great work. It’s my mantra. And I believe it’s the secret to success for brands and people. Great experiences. Great products and services. Great stories. Great strategy. Great technology. Great content and communications. Great ideas. Great relationships.

GREAT is the only way to create real value, in a world where brands market to real people. Humans that live in a world of increasing complexity - craving products, services and experiences that come into our lives and fit.

From brands we trust. And love.

I love what I do. I unravel complicated. I never guess. I uncover powerful customer and business insight. Hunting for gaps and 'the new'. I empower people. I focus on metrics and measurement, commercial logic, profit, relevance, sustainable growth and real innovation.

I believe brands are built on behaviour. That most brands and agencies are not maximising their potential. By a long way. Culture is key. Digital is utterly traditional. Every touchpoint is an experience and an opportunity to wow. Big ideas can change the future of a brand. And relentless simplification is the key to success.

And if you’re going to spend time doing anything, do it great.

Only GREAT works.

Some of my awards

Awards.

I’m very lucky to have created and led some incredibly talented teams. Here’s some of my award highlights:

Top 100 Global Growth Hackers

UK Marketing Industry Managing Director of the Year

Top 15 Media Industry Power Faces

12th in the UK Marketing Power 100

Over 150 Creative and Industry Awards

Top 10 UK Agency Elite

UK Agency of the Year

DBA Creative Business of the Year

Top 5 Wirehive Digital Agency 100

UK’s Most Effective Agency

UK’s Best in Advertising

UK’s Best in Creative

UK’s Best in Strategy

UK’s Best in Digital Strategy

Some brands I’ve worked with

Brand experience.

Experience in Finance/Fintech, Technology, FMCG, Travel, Pharma, Automotive, Utilities, Property, Luxury, Entertainment, Sport, Celebrity, Fashion, Publishing, Retail, Telecoms, Startups, Turnarounds, Zombie Brands, Reboots and beyond.

Take a look at my blog

Agency Growth Tips 1/21: Create Value. Not things.

Posted by Gellan Watt on 6th March 2019

Welcome to 21 days of of agency growth tips…. based on my own successes and failures. There have been many of both. This experience was gained working for some of the largest agencies in the business. Founding my own agency. Maintaining an 80% pitch win rate. Breaking into the top ten. Launching shops in the Middle East and US. Joining an…
Vist my blog
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Contact.

[email protected]

+44 7923 056 645

Available for media comments, interviews, articles and opinion.