Great Brands Aren’t Built, They’re Felt” - Andy Wilkinson on 25 Years in Creative Comms.

In episode five of the Wit + Grit Podcast, we sit down with another Andy - Andy Wilkinson - founder of OWB Creative Comms and now part of global communications group DRPG.

Over 25 years, Andy has gone from starting a small Birmingham agency with 11 staff to being part of a 400-strong creative group with film studios, live events, digital, and integrated campaigns across the UK, Europe and the US.

In this conversation, they dig into:
• How OWB grew, shrunk, survived COVID and then sold into DRPG
• What it’s really like going from an 11-person agency to a 400+ person global team
• The DRPG studios: “the James Bond school of marketing” with props, stages and gadget-show-level production
• Why Andy’s “long-arm selfie” became a personal brand – and why standing out matters in a bland, AI-generated world
• How marketing has changed in 25 years: from faxes & brochures to digital, demand for leads and constant content
• The return of print, direct mail and physical touchpoints in an overloaded digital world
• Why great brands aren’t built, they’re felt – and what that means for connection and culture
• The skills gap: are we missing people skills, tech skills – or both?
• What young people really need: confidence, networking, phone skills, creativity & understanding code
• How DRPG uses a Next Gen Board (18–24) to mirror the main board and hold leadership to account
• Sparks – DRPG’s annual event that brings 100+ young people into the studio to show them what a career in the creative industries actually looks like
• Why Andy is excited, not scared, about AI – and where he still sees a huge need for human creativity and proper craft
• Why older leaders must make themselves available as mentors – and why young people should show up, ask questions and get in the room

If you’re in marketing, creative, leadership – or you’re a parent of teens wondering what the future of work looks like – this episode is full of proper perspective, practical ideas and a lot of warmth.

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