Creativebrief: As Founding Partners of Founded what is your primary focus?

Richard Mabbott: First and foremost, it’s on building a culture and an environment where we’re able to develop and execute brilliant work that moves people, and in doing so delivers on the commercial agendas of our clients.

Creativebrief: Please share a para on your career to date – specifically talking us through the high points.

Richard Mabbott: Gamekeeper to poacher! I had client side roles at Ford and Hutchison Whampoa / 3 before moving to the agency side of the fence and then starting Founded.

Highlights include hitting 2 million customers at 3, winning Virgin Atlantic and FedEx pitches at my previous agency and everything we’ve done so far at Founded! I’ve just seen that P&O Cruises are the ‘top buzz improver’ in the YouGov brand index so that’s made me smile.

Creativebrief: What’s unique about your agency / business? Why did you form Founded?

Richard Mabbott: It’s the people. We’ve put strategy and planning at the heart of the business and developed some great tools to make our work more effective. We’ve got planners, technologists and creatives working together in new ways, plus a whole host of other differentiation points. But at the end of the day, it’s the culture and people who work here that will keep us different.

Creativebrief: Who are the people new to you (either within your business or externally) who have particularly impressed you in the last twelve months?​​​

Richard Mabbott: I think there is a new wave of creative technologists emerging. They come at the world with a consumer and business mindset but can code. They’re opening up some exciting opportunities for us as an agency, and for our clients.

Creativebrief: What has been your agency’s best work in the last year?​​​​​

Richard Mabbott: It’s been fantastic to see the reaction and record-breaking results of the work we’ve done with the P&O Cruises but there have been lots of other highlights too – from Yazoo to Sony and to the work we have done with Centrepoint and End Youth Homelessness, through the Founded Trust.

Creativebrief: Industry wide, what work has excited you most this year?

Richard Mabbott: I love seeing the ideas and work of new talent coming into the industry. There is some great thinking coming through in the D&AD New Blood awards for example. 

Creativebrief: Who or what inspires you?​​​

Richard Mabbott: The team at Founded. All of them.

Creativebrief: How do you stay in-touch with the industry’s best work and culturally relevant news?

Richard Mabbott: I’m a listener by nature so I don’t find this a problem. Plus I’ve got the eyes and ears of everyone at Founded to help – and there’s a real hunger in the agency to be at the edge of everything that’s going on.

Creativebrief: What work or agency from outside the UK do you think is particularly influential?​​

Richard Mabbott: There are some really cool people in academic fields who are bringing research techniques together with technology to shake things up. We’re hanging on their coat tails to develop new tools and approaches.

Creativebrief: What do you think are going to be the main challenges for agencies in the next two years?

Richard Mabbott: Supporting clients to make marketing matter in the boardroom by consistently delivering commercial results and opening up new market opportunities. 

Creativebrief: How do you see the media landscape unfolding in the next five years?

Richard Mabbott: It will continue to fragment and become more complex which will drive more agencies and clients to take a journey rather than channel led approach. Mastering data and analytics will be key in defining where on those journeys brands have the greatest role to play.

Creativebrief: What’s your attitude to the ‘traditional’ pitch? Do you think there is a better/more modern way?

Richard Mabbott: I’ve been lucky enough to win a few ‘traditional’ pitches so I’ve definitely enjoyed those. As long as it’s a fair fight and the scope at the end of it is as promised then please invite us!

Creativebrief: What’s the best pitch you’ve been involved in?

Richard Mabbott: Every win we’ve had at Founded has been great. Winning FedEx was memorable. It’s an iconic brand, the clients were fantastic and the way we took on the challenge was really smart.

Creativebrief: In what ways do you think the industry can change for the better?​

Richard Mabbott: I think everyone needs to ensure there is a real focus on nurturing and developing the next generation of talent. We’re in a global market place and it’s going to become tougher for everyone to compete.

Creativebrief: What’s the next big thing for Founded?

Richard Mabbott: The next big thing is the next piece of great work for a client. So we’re focused there.