Kip Brown

Our resident branding expert, Kip started out as a sales guy who quickly learned the value of understanding customers’ needs before trying to sell them something. He carried this knowledge with him as he transitioned into the world of advertising, at a time when the concept of “branding” was just finding its footing.

As a marketing director for The Martin Agency, Kip worked on nationally recognized and Effie award-winning B2B brands built on insights gleaned from research. After 20 years on the agency side, Kip made the leap from creating campaigns to researching their audiences. To this day, he still gets excited about diving into the nitty-gritty of what makes brands — and people — work.

Over the course of his career, Kip has seen that great research coupled with a deep respect for the customer experience lead to breakthrough branding. After helping his colleague and friend Bonnie launch her research firm Thinkpiece in 2014, Kip officially joined the team as a moderator who brings a unique brand perspective and extensive B2B experience. He also brings a rare talent for asking the right questions, listening carefully to the answers, and ensuring clients hear those insights as well. If his work reveals opportunities and helps his clients act on them, Kip knows he’s done his job.

Fun fact: Along with his Effies, Kip has also won two best actor awards for theater roles he played as an 18-year-old and as a 65-year-old.

“I get energized by what I do. I love branding. I study it. I believe in it. And I want to continue to humanize it so that it is really understood by people everywhere.” — Kip Brown