RICK EVANS

Who I Am
Senior brand strategy and marketing leader who thrives on building, not just maintaining. Nearly two decades turning insights into growth across innovation, strategy, and marketing roles, trained in the strategic rigor of UK creative agencies and sharpened in marketing roles across diverse categories and cultures.I do my best work as a creator: a Cannes Lions-winning campaign conceived in three hours, a membership platform reimagined for 100 million+ customers, a podcast featured by Apple. My story is one of curiosity and range. I can find anything interesting, which means I bring fresh perspective to entrenched problems. Clients extend engagements because I quickly become the trusted advisor who gets to the heart of what matters.Current Project
Leading strategy for a creative campaign to bring a new medical procedure to market to help one out of every two U.S. adults with Koto.

Expertise
Brand strategy, Cultural strategy, Integrated marketing, Partnership marketing, Consumer insights, Membership & loyalty strategy, Sustainability & circular economy, Creative collaboration, Team leadershipBrands Supported
Visa (EMEA), American Express, Barclays, IKEA, Airbnb (EMEA), Dove, Unliever, Bayer, YouTube, Andreseen Horowitz, McDonald's, Sanderson Design Group, Ben & Jerry's, ASICS, Cazadores Tequila, Michelin, (RED), STA TravelAgencies Collaborated With
R/GA (UK), Ogilvy (UK), Saatchi & Saatchi (UK), 20(SOMETHING) (UK), OLIVER (US), Day One Agency (US), Virtue (Vice Media - US)Honors Earned
Cannes Gold Lion in Creative Effectiveness for #TurnYourBack, PR Week Most Innovative CommunicatorEducation
BA in Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill with Additional Coursework in Luxury Strategy, Adaptive Resilience, Sustainability and Sustainable Foods Systems, Understanding Artificial IntelligenceEarly Career Highlights
Helped launch the Carolina RailHawks (now North Carolina FC), Comms team helper for US Men's National Team Training Camp for 2006 World Cup, Had Dinner at Mark Cuban's House with the team while working for the Dallas Mavericks

Example ProjectsAirbnb (2023/34)
I unified fragmented European audience data into a single "source of truth" that optimized regional marketing strategy and media efficiency.AI & Dove at Ogilvy (2023)
I defined Dove’s strategic stance on AI through expert research, ensuring the "real beauty" mission evolved alongside emerging technology.TikTok & Dove at Ogilvy (2023)
I led a grassroots TikTok strategy to counter deceptive filters, driving brand trust and securing a Cannes Lions Gold in Creative Effectiveness.
(View the Case Study Video)Unilever at Ogilvy (2023)
I led a behavioral-science-backed influencer strategy to launch a collective action brand, reaching nearly 1 billion people with sustainable living hacks.
(View the Step Zero website)IKEA Family at R/GA (2021/22)
I reimagined the IKEA Family program by shifting from transactional discounts to a relationship-driven value system, directly shaping the global roadmap for new sustainability and rewards initiatives.Additional work project examples