COMPANY
We are a strategic consultancy that specialises in helping businesses establish a leadership position through leveraging the power of their brand.
We work across all aspects of brand development including strategy, architecture, identity, product development, brand based initiatives, content, communications, leadership and culture. Our experience spans a wide range of sectors including retail, property, health, fashion, music, philanthropy, education, sport, finance and politics.
Alongside the consulting work we do we are involved in a range of ventures, research initiatives and voluntary projects in sectors including retail, leisure and property development. The work we do here gives us experience and learning that feeds our consultancy practice and vice-versa.
A PLATFORM FOR COLLABORATION
The projects we are involved in require skills sets and knowledge to be drawn from a diverse range of disciplines including research, strategy, planning, writing, design, product development, culture change, leadership and more. No two projects are the same and the team selection each time is ‘tuned’ towards the specific task in hand. We believe in true collaboration as the way to answer problems – both with our clients and our own network of specialists. Adventure acts as the platform that brings everyone together, combining our own skillsets with our clients and their existing agencies skillsets, and supporting that team through our network of specialist partners to create the blended expertise needed for each project.
FOUNDER: LOU DAWSON
Lou is the founder of Adventure and has spent more than twenty five years as a consultant working with organisations including Nike, Orange, Nationwide and Channel 4, as well as smaller, privately owned businesses, start ups, not for profits and campaigning organisations. She is co-founder of Hollow Rocks, a sports and social club and co-founder of Neighbourhood, a development innovation company. She is a qualified community mediator and ‘equine facilitated learning‘ coach, researching horses and herd behaviour. Her training and experience here influences many of her ideas.
WHY THE NAME ADVENTURE
“Adventure” is a word that captures the idea of embracing the unknown in a positive and exciting way. Our work is about setting out on journeys together with others to find the answers as we go along, adapting and evolving what we think, or thought we knew, in light of new information. There is a lot of pressure on people in business generally to appear to have all the answers, to stick to a plan, to always know what to do. In reality, the context is always changing, ideas are always evolving, culture is always developing. It’s not really possible to ‘know’ or to chart an exact course, but experience will guide you and together with others, you will find the way… (and as with any adventure, it’s the element of the unknown that is what makes it fun).
ENDORSEMENTS & AWARDS
“Insightful, incisive and intelligent: a perfect mix of foresight and pragmatism”.
JEZ FRAMPTON
Former Global CEO, Interbrand
“Lou is a pioneer who understood the need for companies to evolve immediately, embrace disruption, lead with values and think differently long before these concepts became fashionable. Her honesty, passion, vision and ability to think big and small are refreshing. She doesn’t think “out of the box”; her strength is that she has always looked at the box from the outside, and created ropes to get others out of the box and into the future. I’m obviously a huge fan”.
SETH ELLISON
Former President, Levis Europe & VP, Nike Inc.
“From my first meeting with Lou 20 years ago when she was a junior exec at Nike, I could see her intuitive marketing approach, ahead of anyone in her team and most of her superiors. Her ideas have always been unique and consumer driven and have been proven to work multiple times for various companies”.
LINDSEY HAYES
Former VP, Nike Europe & VP, Timberland
