Natasha Collie
Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Penguin Random House UK
At the start of the year, Ladybird Books approached Sonder & Tell with a dream brief. In 2021, a year that’s been particularly challenging for...
In conversation with
Strategist at Sonder & Tell
Lucinda Toole is Sonder & Tell’s new Strategist. And also one of the most recent hires to join our growing team. Not only is she fluent in French, but she has grasped the language of brand strategy and positioning, courtesy of her background working at brand and strategy consultancy, The Value Engineers.
For Lucinda brand strategy is an art. Something that she compares to the act of “painting with watercolours”. When she’s not leading our clients through a brand positioning, story or tone of voice workshop, you might find her leading a yoga class, a practice that has helped her apply clarity in her life and work: “Leading a yoga class means talking clearly, concisely and with a little magic for up to an hour at a time”.
We spoke to Lucinda about the craft of brand building and what she enjoys most about strategy.
My time at TVE was all about putting the customer at the heart of brand strategy and getting to distinctive positioning. I got to work with huge international brands as well as small independent ones, workshopping with amazing teams and working closely with them on projects that were fundamental to their future. I learnt about uncovering insights that really matter to brands, and creating brand positioning work that lead to real action. All in all, a brilliant schooling in all things brand strategy.
I’ve been a Sonder & Tell fangirl for years – the words, the brands, the philosophy. It’s exciting to be part of a fast-growing agency that clients love working with. But I’m most excited to be surrounded by people and working on projects that focus on the power of words in brand strategy. Now it’s a question of dusting off my thesaurus and filling my diary with workshop dates!
I love being a strategist because of the conversations you get to have with brands. You really dig deep into their ‘why’ and create a space where people can explore ideas and thoughts in a way they might not normally. And then the really fun bit is turning it all into a clear and punchy strategy. Turning what can feel like chaos into something that feels right and helps brands take their next step.
I’ve recently got into everything Mark Pollard puts out (with thanks to Vikki Ross who told me about him in a recent training session!). He talks about strategy (which can often feel pretty wanky and empty, if you’ll excuse my French) in a human and meaningful way.
“It really teaches you to be in control of your words and say what you mean. And then there’s all the emotional stuff that a yoga practice teaches you: letting go of perfectionism; pushing yourself beyond obvious answers; being calm in the eye of a storm”
Training to become a yoga teacher taught me so much that I apply to work, life and (occasionally) teaching yoga. Leading a yoga class means talking clearly, concisely and with a little magic for up to an hour at a time. You’ve got to pick up on each individual’s needs without even making eye contact. You’ve got to always be thinking two poses ahead. It really teaches you to be in control of your words and say what you mean. And then there’s all the emotional stuff that a yoga practice teaches you: letting go of perfectionism; pushing yourself beyond obvious answers; being calm in the eye of a storm… A little glimpse into the Lucinda life philosophy.
To remember who the star of the show is (hint: it’s not you).
Painting with watercolours. Trust the process and yourself. Have a plan but be prepared to tear it up. And of course, practice makes perfect.
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