Blog

Brave Thinking | Issue #008

Brave Thinking is a monthly hit of creativity, culture, and brand brilliance—powered by MadeBrave.

In this issue, we're excited to announce the relaunch of our brand and creativity podcast, Just a Chat With. We’re also exploring why brand distinctiveness matters now more than ever, and asking big questions about internal culture.

This one's packed with fresh thinking, standout insights, and a couple new opportunities to join the MadeBrave team—ready to drop in?

Brand Distinctiveness – Andy Murray Gets It. Do You?

He may not be a strategist or a marketer, but Andy Murray might just be one of the most distinctive brands in the UK.

No workshops. No frameworks. Just a clear, consistent identity and a brand that’s still growing post-retirement.

Our Head of Strategy, Mark Cullen, breaks down what marketers can learn from Murray’s playbook—and why distinctiveness is still the ultimate competitive edge.

Amplify Festival – Are We Asking the Right Questions?

We tend to think of brand and marketing as external—customer-facing, market-facing. But what about internal comms and brand culture?

If this year’s Amplify Festival showed us anything, it’s that the line between brand and culture is starting to blur. And that’s a good thing.

Our Client Experience Director, Bec Chelin, shows us why that is.

Brave Thinking | Issue #007

Brave Thinking is a monthly hit of creativity, culture, and brand brilliance—powered by MadeBrave.

This time, we're diving into what happens when belief drives transformation—from thought leadership on brand culture and human truth, to an award-nominated campaign tackling colon cancer, and the lasting impact of our brand home launch for Johnnie Walker.

How Human Truths Drive Effective Campaigns

If you had to name the one thing that drives campaign effectiveness from the start, what would it be?

If you guessed insight, you’re close. But not quite.

If you ask our Strategy Director, Mike Brooke, real effectiveness starts with something deeper than insight. And that’s where human truths come in.

Belief & Brand Culture: An Inside Job

Ever seen this before?

Businesses ticking the brand culture box with perks, values on the wall, and maybe a ping pong table—all while missing the one thing that actually builds resilience?

Because here’s the thing. When disruption and business transformation happens (mergers, AI, restructures), it won’t be a purpose statement that pulls you out of a nosedive.

It comes down to what you believe. And more importantly, getting your team to believe it, too.

This is not a nice-to-have for 2025. It’s mission-critical. Our Founder / CEO, Andrew Dobbie, explains why.

Brave Thinking | Issue #006

Brave Thinking is a monthly hit of creativity, culture, and brand brilliance—powered by MadeBrave.

This time we're diving into what happens when bold ideas meet brave clients—from a national integrated campaign with First Bus, to insight-led strategy, and a fresh perspective on the power of belief from our Founder & CEO.

Making the Unseen Unmissable for World IBD Day

Festivals are a summer staple. But for the 500,000 people in the UK living with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), they can feel completely off-limits.

When access to a toilet is a necessity—not a luxury—something as simple as a music festival becomes a stressful, sometimes impossible experience.

That’s why we teamed up once again with The Catherine McEwan Foundation to shine a spotlight on the unseen realities of IBD.

Brave Thinking | Issue #005

This issue kicks off with a focus on business transformation, and why it’s time to elevate brand and marketing back into the boardroom.

We also put a spotlight on our bold work for the Catherine McEwan Foundation, not to mention a fresh take on bravery from our strategy team, and how to get it right from the start.

Creativity: Your Competitive Advantage, Engineered

We’ve all seen it—that moment where a creative idea stops people in their tracks. And to the outside world, it can look effortless. It might even seem like magic. But as all of us marketers already know, the best creative isn’t plucked from thin air—it's driven by insight and is painstakingly engineered.

Brave Thinking | Issue #004

This issue takes you inside our standout brand activation for First Bus, a bold team kick-off for DXC, and a fresh perspective on brand consistency from our Founder / CEO, Andrew Dobbie. Not to mention seven awards nominations!

We’re also diving into culture (spoiler - free garlic bread can’t fix it), ego-free leadership, and whether AI can really build a brand.

Plenty to get stuck into—this one’s all about inside-out brand strategy and campaigns that move people.

Bland Building: How to AI-Optimise Your Brand to Death

This isn’t an anti-AI post. Generative AI tools are brilliant for the short-term, performance-driven stuff—think targeting, testing, and refining creative.

But what about brand building?

Can it? Kind of. But should it?

Our Brand Manager, Keenan Erwin, lays out what brands stand to lose if they’re not careful.