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

Richard Perry: It’s making sure that the people here at Founded have the skills, training, capacity, inspiration and vision to fulfil our client demands.

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

Richard Perry: Opening Founded in 2012 and trying to do something different with the agency is definitely a pivotal career moment for me.

Beyond that, there are three things that stand out. One is writing a book for a client, during the dot com boom. We couldn’t afford to do any above the line, but managed to get a book deal. We generated 3 million dollars worth of coverage from a 100k spend over the course of just one weekend. That was really cool. Another high point is winning the Virgin Atlantic account at a previous agency, and then winning P&O Cruises here at Founded and seeing our ad air for the first time on Christmas Day.

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

Richard Perry: What makes Founded unique is the culture we’re trying to create – an open, flat and inclusive culture – because if you make a good place to work, then you’ll make good work.

As an agency, we’re unique in the way our planners work, and the value we see in planning. They’re not just for pitches; they’re at the centre of our agency.

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 Perry: At the moment, I’m a little obsessed with marketing unicorns – those new creative technologists who take technology, creativity and marketing principles, and blend them into a marketing leadership position. They’re very interesting.

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

Richard Perry: The work I’m particularly proud of this year is our TVC for P&O Cruises, the reactive Djokovic ad we created for Uniqlo, and our Holiday Shop summer campaign for TK Maxx.

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

Richard Perry: In terms of a spot, I love the money supermarket work. It just really makes me laugh.

Creativebrief: Who or what inspires you?​​​

Richard Perry: The ambition, determination and positive attitude of the people here at Founded inspires me. The belief that ‘we can tackle anything’ is incredibly motivating.

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

Richard Perry: I listen, a lot, and people aren’t afraid to talk.

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

Richard Perry: Again, the opportunities with the marketing technologists we’re seeing coming out of San Francisco and California. There’s huge potential there, and the ability to change the game.

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

Richard Perry: For smaller, independent agencies, it’s about how you grow. Larger network agencies are occupying a greater percentage of client budgets, so if you’re an aspiring independent agency, you need two things: great people, and opportunity. There are 20,000 agencies in the UK alone, so the space where you can play is becoming ever smaller. You have to find a way of positioning yourself and create value that turns this challenge into an opportunity.

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

Richard Perry: I see it becoming more fractured, with more choice burgeoning. There will be huge developments within mobile and digital TV, but more generally I think we’ll see the complexity of the media landscape grow exponentially.

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

Richard Perry: I’m a firm believer in a fair fight. So long as it’s a level playing field and the rules of engagement are clearly set, I’m all for them.

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

Richard Perry: Winning P&O Cruises here at Founded was a bit of a record setter for me – winning from a 22 minute pitch having never met the clients before.

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

Richard Perry: Can we please ditch the black turtlenecks and thick-rim glasses?

For smaller independents, put more emphasis on training and development. More generally, I think we need to educate younger generations about the industry and start to make it a destination for talent – lets get advertising up there with arts or sports – that would have massive implications.

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

Richard Perry: And we open in San Francisco on Monday. Watch this space!