Having worked around the world in marketing, research & advertising, experiencing great cultures, shaped into what I am: a Creator of Stories and Strategies with strong business sense.
Hire me for brand strategy & identity, story creation, storytelling, brainstorms, creativity sessions coaching and brand activation.
Strong brands are all about stories.
Look at Nike, Starbucks, Apple, Red Bull, Albert Heijn, Heineken, and the list goes on, including some of your start-ups and local SMEs. All brands that found the stories behind the functionality of the product. In fact life is about stories. Think how powerful they are. Some stories have been around for thousands of years…
Today, in a digital, social media driven world, we need stories again; as people, companies and brands. To be different, stand out, feel good, create awareness, to engage and to build a bond (with all stakeholders).
Taking the time at the start to define the deeper, more fundamental problem that needs to be solved, the story beyond the story. Surpassing the (story of) competitors, differentiating and a source of inspiration.
Don’t settle for mediocre. A challenging creative brief, inspiring insights and a clear playing field are the forces behind a deeper driving idea for executions that pave the road to success and the greatest stories.
The real works starts when it seems done. Finding the right people, making sure it’s happening the way it’s supposed to: Telling the story, reaching the right eyes (brains) at the right time with the most engaging impact.
Change is the only constant in life, and one of the most difficult challenges people have to overcome. I strive to work together, creating harmony, creating something that is greater than the sum of the parts.
For the most important moment for IKEA Indonesia: The launch of the catalogue. , Gerard understands Indonesian culture and came up with the activation concept 'Friends from Sweden' (Teman dari Swedia, because you invite friends to your house) including an ABBA cover band and the Swedish ambassador.
We called him Guru G when he came up with “European Design” for our Architecture and Build agency. Only when you hear it you wonder why didn’t we come up with it ourself (me and my partner are both from Europe). Now it’s implemented in website and all communication.
We needed a strong B-to-B approach and leasing concept and Gerard (and his team) came up with a clever concept and activation strategy. When I took it to Tokyo to present, that idea was implemented in the whole of Asia.
Gerard is clever with copy and strategy and was able of position back at a high qualitative level while keeping it accessible for the ‘normal’ Dutch people (no high-brow).
He worked as one of our consultants in Belgium and parallel had some suggestions for ‘freshing up’ the brand and proposition. Long story short: Th re-design of the logo and house style and position is still what we’re using today.
He can be pretty confronting and straight forward, but sometimes that’s necessary. Today we have a powerful new brand name for the new non-plastic, a clear communication concept and an inspiring purpose: Back to nature. He’s Plantastiq!
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