Event magazine interviews Garry Dods

One Minute with…Garry Dods

30 April 2015, by Alison Ledger and Katie Deighton

Garry Dods, founder of We Are Fearless, tells Event about crafting a new brand experience agency with a focus on behavioural psychology.

What is We Are Fearless’ USP?

We are a new breed of engagement agency and the first agency in its field to integrate consumer neuroscience at the heart of its strategic approach. We Are Fearless has worked hard to embed this behavioural science into our whole strategic approach.

Our proposition is boldness with backup, which is why we wanted to work with genuine experts in this field and the latest research into how the brain works and how humans make decisions.

Who have you worked with to launch the agency?

Jonathan Owen and I conceived the agency together and have built a really strong team in Covent Garden with expertise across partnerships, storytelling and experiential. Jonti is founder and chief executive of Energy Live, which we’re sharing offices with as we build a really interesting partnership together.

We have also been working with a range of experts, from Dr Araceli Camargo, cognitive neuroscientist, lecturer and advisor to brands like Nike and Virgin, to Dr Jane Leighton who heads up Nielsen Neuro, the world’s largest neuroscience agency. She is a cognitive neuroscientist specialising in consumer research and advises clients across the luxury, automotive, FMCG and retail sectors.

Why did you set up We Are Fearless?

I was inspired by my grandfather, who set up his own successful international tyre business at the youthful age of 65. I’ve also been inspired because I passionately believe that marketing needs a new engagement model. There’s still too much meaningless marketing, which means people aren’t listening or caring so they’re not inspired into action.

I believe very passionately that the brands of the future will be the human centric brands, not just those that put the consumer at the heart, but those that genuinely understand human behaviour and consistently act in a human centric way in their lives.