Meet Mary Say

Brands of the future need agencies that can combine and deliver both commercial and creative outcomes

Mary Say started her career in London for a global brand and design consultancy. After falling in love with the world of brand design, Mary identified there was more to explore. ‘I knew I wanted to go deeper, to help to define and build brands, to work out their story, and how to engage with people internally and externally. Seeing the importance of knitting together all various sides of the branding jigsaw are part of what inspired the creation of Brand Potential.’

After meeting her co-founders, Chris and Tom at a previous agency, they knew their skillsets were so complementary together. ‘We combined our skills of consumer research and insight; brand strategy and design; and implementation and agency growth experience to create Brand Potential. We felt there was a gap between great insight and strategy partners; and the translation of that strategy into design and creative rollout; this is where the real potential needed to be unlocked. From day 1, we have combined commercial (in the form of research, data, analytics and strategy) with creative (storytelling, innovation, branding and design).'

‘The Brand Potential team were already planning to accelerate their presence in the Netherlands. We felt there was an opportunity, in particular for our innovation services. So initially we started collaborating with Millford to jointly launch Bright Ideas, our FastTrack innovation offer.’

Since the launch the team quickly realised that Millford and Brand Potential were closely aligned, culturally and creatively. ‘We thought in a similar way, with a similar focus on doing great work for our client’s brands, that would set them up for the future. So, there was quickly a natural synergy and friendship between the two businesses. From there, it was an obvious next step to formalize the relationship and bring Millford into Brand Potential to make the work we do together and for our clients even more seamless.’

'Brand Potential and Millford really inforce each other. It’s a reflection of what we both believe – that brands of the future need agencies that can combine and deliver both commercial and creative outcomes, with equal balance between the two. We are growing a new generation of agency, with a clear mission – to create a positive future for the brands, people, and businesses we work with. Everything we do – insight, innovation, strategy, design and our own internal culture and values – aligns to that mission.’

‘We have the same ambition for clients – it’s another reason our synergy is so good – we both identify and deliver transformative brand ideas – the type of ideas that creates the brands of the future. Each team brings something to the other; we are both growing and evolving as a result, which will lead to a happier team, more innovative services, even better work and better results for our clients.’