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Chris Kemp is the CEO and founder of Ingenuity Group, a leading force in the marketing consulting landscape. Founded in 2005, Ingenuity started as a new business consultancy with the goal of connecting marketing agencies with potential brand clients.
The company quickly gained recognition for its innovative matchmaking sessions, where brands with specific marketing challenges met agencies that could meet those needs.
Over the years, Ingenuity has evolved and now offers agencies a range of services including PR, content and growth consulting. Additionally, it supports brands through agency selection, pitch management and marketing ecosystem services, facilitating the discovery of new agency partners. Ingenuity also has a brand partnerships team that excels at finding and developing industry-leading partnerships.
Over the past two years, the company has grown significantly through the acquisition of the lead generation company Future factorythe sponsor agency Reg & Coand Britain’s most distinctive marketing festival, MAD//PARTY. These acquisitions now operate under The Ingenuity Group, whose mission is to connect the marketing world. As CEO, Chris Kemp takes the time to share his insights with Business Matters.
What is the most important problem you solve for your customers?
Essentially, we have two predominant audiences: brands and agencies. We help brands navigate the ever-evolving and complicated agency landscape and guide them in finding the right partners. We support agency growth using marketing, new business tools and technology to help them connect with their target brands and build strong relationships.
What made you start your business: did you want to change the status quo, or was it a gap in the market that you could fill?
Before I became a founder, I worked at another lead generation company and felt there was an opportunity to do things differently. Fueled by enthusiasm and naivety, I was inspired to start my own business. I was determined to build a successful business that I could be proud of, so starting my own business seemed like the best path.
What are your brand values?
For me it is threefold:
1. Set a good example. Everything comes from the top, so it’s important that management leads the way through their actions.
2. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Respect is non-negotiable.
3. Encourage collaboration at every point.
Do your values drive your decision-making process?
I have a special passion for effective collaboration. Teamwork makes a huge difference because everyone plays a role in the growth of the company. I have acquired companies that share a similar mentality to us – that is something I feel strongly about and needs to be aligned within the Ingenuity Group. For me it is crucial to work with people who are sympathetic and ambitious.
Is team culture an integral part of your business?
Team culture is imperative to me, and I’m proud of the culture we’ve built at Ingenuity and continue to do so within the Ingenuity Group. I think it’s important that my employees feel like they can learn, grow and succeed. I am honored to have colleagues who started with me when Ingenuity was a young company and have worked their way up since then.
What do you do to go the extra mile and show your team that you appreciate them?
We implement several initiatives to recognize and reward our employees, but making people feel seen has always been a priority for me. Every individual should feel like they have a voice and feel comfortable sharing their opinions. This is something I will never allow to change, no matter how big the company becomes. Whenever I can, I try to take the time to ask people how they are doing, congratulate them on a success, or help them with a challenge. I want everyone to feel validated for all their hard work and feel like they can approach me.
What is your attitude towards your competitors?
I appreciate our competitors. I really want them to flourish because we need them to drive the market. In our relatively small industry, it is important to cultivate positive relationships; it is better to be liked than not liked. I’ve always admired competitors, so much so that it’s led to us acquiring a few!
Do you have any advice for anyone starting out in business?
Networking is honestly so important. Learn to enjoy meeting new people, as making connections is incredibly rewarding – you never know where it could lead. Be proactive by asking lots of questions and seeking advice from those who have been successful. Starting a business is a big risk, and it’s completely understandable to feel like you need financial support. However, if you can wait to accept investments, you will be very happy later and you will be rewarded in so many ways.
Serving as the company’s lead decision maker can be a lonely and pressurized place. What do you do to relax, recharge and sharpen your focus
Although it can be a lonely and pressured place, it is so important to have the right people around you. I’m fortunate to have a great support system to share ideas with. Outside of work, I get real relaxation by spending time with my family.
Do you believe in the 12-week working method, or do you make much longer planning strategies?
I like to set a plan and budget for the year and perform regular checks to monitor progress. However, nothing is ever set in stone, so the evaluation meetings during the year offer us the opportunity to make adjustments where necessary. We’ve seen a huge amount of change over the past five years, so it was crucial for us to be flexible so we could evolve as needed.
What three things do you hope to achieve within the next twelve months?
In the coming year, I’m excited about increasing The Ingenuity Group’s profile and cultivating a distinctive atmosphere. I strive for our companies to feel connected and at the same time maintain their activities. There are many exciting events on the horizon, and we are focused on expanding our influence across all markets. In addition, I would like to support MAD//FEST’s first Manchester event, MAD//UP NORTH, in February.