I remember the spark very well. I should. It almost killed me.
After 12 hours in yet another big-table, big-agency meeting, I stumbled jet lagged into the streets of London. And almost got creamed by a cab.
And there it was. Painted on the road. Look Left.
It was time for something different. More than 20 years of taking startups from garage to greatness, reinventing tired brands, and helping companies big and small through crises and security breaches had left me battle hardened, but tired and uninspired. So, I did the unthinkable for pretty much anyone who has ever known me. I just stopped. For one whole year. And along the way, after looking left, right, and left again, I realized that I loved what I did. But not how it had been done. Change was needed. In me. In the field. And I had (gulp) a clean slate.
Talking to many CMOs, CSOs, a brilliant group of former colleagues and marketing experts confirmed my suspicions. Few agencies stood out. Total crap shoot on who was in the room and their experience. Your team could be working on security, solar energy and the latest .com all at once. No one could answer how they integrated with sales to drive growth, and tangibly measure action. And my god, the writing and content was either flip or pedantic and boring.
With that in mind, it was time to leap left.
Looking Left
Look Left is a specialist marketing communications agency focused on driving market leadership and revenue growth for enterprise infrastructure companies, with specialization in cybersecurity, data and privacy companies. We’re obsessed with creative content and advocacy campaigns that drive action. We have some unique methodologies---what we call Looking Left---and are experimenting with more. And there’s our network of influencers, media, artists, advocates, and advisors, including researchers, CTOs and CSOs.
We look at things differently, through a lens focused on deep technology. That focus is essential. It’s less ramp up time. It’s instant market understanding. And it’s unique in a technology marketing and public relations industry that tends to specialize on the size or state of a company, and not its market. In the age of analytics, and Internet of Things, we believe data, analytics, security and privacy issues remain key drivers for virtually any stakeholder.
The nut we are cracking is the tight and constantly evolving integration between marketing and sales. And our focus on a particular industry to develop the unique, blended campaigns that really drive awareness and growth. You need a deep understanding of the market, or else you are just wasting dollars and time.
We’re part storyteller, media advocate, content artists, and increasingly mixed in with a hefty dash of data scientist. Maybe it’s a Frankenstein. Maybe it’s evolution. We got high fives in our first pitch. Then practically thrown out of our second when we scared the villagers. We definitely have hit a nerve.
So take a Look Left. And let us know what you think.
