Consider the collective hours dedicated to agency positioning papers in the creative industries. Now consider if the same volume of hours and attention is dedicated to the people who reside within it and drive those brands forward?

For while we pour over every detail of PowerPoint or keynote decks, the uncomfortable truth remains that in the business of creative transformation the people who ultimately propel that change forward are not afforded the same attention. 

While it is well-accepted that your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room; when it comes to modern brand building the role of people remains an afterthought in some corners of the industry.

In this ecosystem, TwentyFirstCenturyBrand’s appointment of Sara Tate as European Partner, who will establish a new company offering, centred around behavioural change and brand transformation, marks a step change. 

Tate, who is an award-winning industry leader, has had stints at TBWA\London where she was CEO and Mother London where she was Managing Director. Her debut book, The Rebuilders, which was written alongside VMLY&R’s razor-sharp Chief Strategy Officer Anna Vogt, was shortlisted at the Business Book Awards 2023. The book was written as Tate successfully completed her MSc in Executive Coaching and Organisational Change.

In her new role as Strategic Lead at TwentyFirstCenturyBrand, Sara will bring her expertise in cultural, organisational and behavioural transformation to the fore, developing a division that supports brands that seek to transform the marketing discipline, embed new strategy and focus throughout the business and shift internal culture.

“I passionately believe that people are the catalyst for change and it’s through decoding and influencing the human dynamics of businesses, their cultures, and their teams that businesses can truly transform,” explains Tate. She added that she will ‘bring the human side of transformation to the forefront to drive client growth.’

TwentyFirstCenturyBrand’s  CEO and Co-Founder Neil Barrie added: “While our focus at launch was on equipping businesses to thrive in the 21st century through world class brand strategy and activation, people change is an increasing area of need as clients navigate the accelerating evolution of tech, AI, and culture. Our practice has grown organically through long term capabilities projects for the likes of Mars, LinkedIn and Pepsico. With Sara in place we are so excited to take the practice to the next level.”

Tate’s appointment comes at a unique moment in time for business, as employees collectively uncurl from the stress ball of the pandemic and when questions of how, when and why we work are at the very top of the business agenda. The business press is fizzing with thought leaders comparing hybrid working to the end of the Roman empire and the reality remains that organisations face a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the workplace for the better.