Our story

Why are we here?

It happened when we were sitting in a talk by Will.i.am at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, where our founder Debi Bester was judging.

  • Hitting out at the ad folk who flocked to the Cote d’Azur for the gold, the glory and the glamour, he said, “Agencies are dying because they’ve always been agents of marketers. Little do they know it, but those marketers would be way better served if agencies were agents of customers.”

    The idea of the Department of Change was born.

#DoChange

Who are we?

We’re innovators, researchers, strategists, data scientists, designers, behavioural experts and storytellers. We have a passion for making brands, experiences, stuff and things that change the way people live, work and play.

  • And, unlike most other agencies, we work for your customers.​

    Which is why we won’t say what you want to hear if it isn’t what the customer needs. We’re not in the business of presenting ideas that work for your business but not for your customers. We’ll let you know if we believe you’re being pressured by internal stakeholders to do what will disappoint the customer. And we’ll never present a solution because it’s all you have budget for when we know it won’t work in the market.​

    Instead, you can be sure that every insight, strategy, product, service or experience that comes from the work we do with your team and your customers has one objective.​

    To increase the value of your business to your customers, which in turn will increase the value of your customers to your business.​

#DoTrust

What do we do?

We unite your teams in every department around shared purpose: to create an unrivalled C21st experience for your customers, at every touchpoint, at every hour of the day.

  • So we create more purposeful brands aligned with the values of your customers. We invent more useful products and services enabled by data and technology. We build an innovative culture that responds to your customer from the very heart of your company. And we design more sustainable business models that make the possible, profitable.

    Our approach? Simple ideas, fast iteration, intuitive technologies, people power and lasting impact.

    After all, the future belongs to those who invent it every day.

#DoDifferent

How do we do it?

The biggest barriers to change are ‘us and them’, ‘not invented here’ and ‘the way we’ve always done it’. That’s exactly why we created the Department of Change: to work with your team and your customers to reinvent your business from the inside out.

  • We work like any other department to make the most of what you already have on the inside. We align with your commercial objectives and realities. We sweat your assets. We leverage activities you’ve committed to. We tap into budgets readily available. We work with your team in agile sprints. And we measure success to prove, and improve, ROI.

    But, here’s where we’re a department like no other: we bring the outside in. A global network of inventors, entrepreneurs, trendspotters, behavioural scientists and technologists. Proprietary tools, methodologies and technologies. Proven case studies and invaluable thought leadership. And a depth of experience that’s garnered 121 awards across four continents.

    The result? An everyday approach that, across the year, will make your business more valuable to your customers and your people more valuable to your company.

#DoFuture

Who do we do it for?

So many marketers are struggling to deliver against stretching targets with overworked teams and a lack of resources in risk-averse cultures. Which is why too many are tempted to just keep their heads down, focus on their inside world. Not ours.

  • Our clients are typically the changemakers in marketing. They share the same challenges, but take a heads-up approach.​

    By title, they may be Chief Marketing Officers, Chief Strategy Officers, Chief Retail Officer, Chief Growth Officer …. whatever, they're all, at heart, chief customer officers. And they look beyond their walls to us to bring together those they work with and those they serve to reinvent their business every day, from the inside out.

    They know, as we do, that’s the only way to create a purposeful, as well as a profitable, brand that’ll still be thriving in 2030 and beyond.

    So, what do you want to do for your customers that hasn’t been done before?

#DoTogether