The Story Behind The lubu Way
I didn’t set out to build a “philosophy of marketing.” I simply spent two decades in the trenches of persuasion — selling print space, pitching to boardrooms, negotiating with media giants, and persuading customers with budgets so tight they made a drum look saggy.
Somewhere along the way, I realised something profound:
Growth doesn’t come from shouting louder. It comes from understanding better.
This is the story of how that realisation became The lubu Way.
2003: The First Lesson in Human Persuasion (Daily Telegraph, London)
My career began not in strategy decks or brand pyramids, but selling ad space in newsprint. No automation. No digital funnel. Just a phone, a quota, and a list of people who absolutely did not want to talk to me. I quickly learned that people don’t buy features — they buy feelings of certainty and confidence. That was the first spark of Connection over Attention.
2006: Selling Experiences, Not Placements (Future Publishing x Live Nation)
I moved from selling ads to curating promotions around music events. Suddenly, I wasn’t just selling exposure — I was selling belonging. Fans didn’t attend events because of the headliner. They came because it felt like them. Brand partnerships weren’t about logos on posters — they were about cultural alignment. For the first time, I saw the magic of Small Shifts = Big Growth.
2008–2012: Speaking to the Most Valuable Ears in Britain (GCap Media / Classic FM Team)
At GCap, working on Classic FM — the UK’s largest radio audience — I partnered with brands like Waitrose, Hiscox, Compare the Market, Mercedes Benz, Gucci, Swarovski. These were ABC1, premium-brand buyers. You couldn’t use gimmicks. You had to respect their intelligence. Every message had to be crafted with restraint. It taught me that real luxury is quiet — persuasion doesn’t always announce itself.
2012–2015: Taking Brands to the Streets (Exterion Media)
Outdoor and digital — high frequency, big impact. I led national campaigns for NatWest (outdoor + digital) and O2’s ‘Be More Dog’ campaign, plastered across buses, billboards and commuter screens. This was repetition at scale — but even then, I noticed something vital: the most effective ads weren’t always the loudest — they were the ones that made people smile or pause for half a second. Humans still responded emotionally, even at 40mph.
2015–2017: When Technology Learned to Tell Stories (Znaptag)
Joined a startup creating interactive rich media overlays — before “rich media” was trendy. We helped Penguin Books target commuters’ mobile phones with in-image campaigns that offered the first chapter of new releases instantly. Instead of shouting “BUY THIS BOOK!”, we simply said, “Have a taste while you wait.” That was when I realised something important: Technology shouldn’t interrupt — it should invite.
2017–2019: Proof That Soul Scales (Harvest Creative Services, Michigan)
Crossed the Atlantic and joined an independent agency. We pitched, and won, $750K+ Blue Cross Blue Shield campaigns, built affinity-driven health messaging, and launched Meijer’s fastest-growing social campaign of 2018. We didn’t outspend competitors, we out-relatabled them. Stories + Data = Action became a permanent lubu pillar.
2018–2021: Scaling Emotion Into an Engine (SHEFIT)
As Director of Marketing at SHEFIT, I helped scale revenue from $4M to $25M, earning three consecutive INC 5000 recognitions. We didn’t win by hacking algorithms. We won by creating an army of advocates instead of customers. Every review was a love letter. Every post was a badge of pride. It cemented the truth: Growth isn’t loud, it’s felt.
2021: The Strategic Outsider Becomes The Fixer (Freelance Era)
I chose independence — not to freelance, but to step in as a catalyst for brands needing clarity and momentum.
Working with CDKI Holdings as CMO (2021–2023) across tech, hospitality, and consumer goods:
- School CNXT — Multilingual school communications platform. Turned complexity into human reassurance.
- 8 to 18 Digital — Registration & scheduling tools for schools and youth programmes. Aligned product, positioning, and communications to prepare for scale.
- MeXo Grand Rapids — Modern Mexican fine dining. Positioned cuisine as ancestral storytelling through flavour.
- Sandy Point Beach House — Coastal-inspired dining. Reframed as an escape disguised as a restaurant.
- Chicago Beef Joint — Casual dining with attitude. Elevated from local sandwich shop to cult-worthy icon-in-the-making.
- Alice Coffee — Sustainable, biodegradable coffee pods. Rebuilt their narrative from eco alternative to daily ritual with purpose.
I rebuilt brand messaging, refined offerings, reconstructed websites, and helped prepare School CNXT & 8 to 18 Digital for acquisition by Snap! Mobile.
2024: The lubu Way Is Born
After twenty years across media, tech, agency, and consumer brands — one principle kept repeating:
The brands that win aren’t the loudest. They’re the ones that make people feel seen.
2025 and beyond
Today, I continue consultancy with Alice Coffee and Old Treasure Bourbon, both set to launch officially in 2026. Different industries. Same human truth: people don’t buy features — they join narratives.