Get to know Mitchell Kirkham-Cooper, our new Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships and Marketing.

Tell us about yourself! How did you get into the world of brand consulting and experience design?

I grew up in England wanting to be a writer. I also had a secret hobby of letterform/typography design. So I find it funny how I completely and unintentionally fell into brand consulting and design, since it seemingly sits at the center of the Venn diagram of two of my key interests.

After I graduated college and realized that being a poet wouldn’t pay the bills, I began looking for jobs in the creative industry in London. I landed in brand consulting about 15 years ago and haven’t looked back since. I’ve lived in San Francisco for a few years with my wife and son, Eliot (upon whom I’m inflicting my love of Everton Football Club and the poet T.S. Eliot – his namesake.)

I’ve been fortunate in my career to have worked with the best brand professionals in the business (the ChangeUp team included) and I have tackled some truly fascinating challenges. From supercars to supermarkets, and commercial space-flight to spicy chicken, understanding and finding creative solutions to such a wild variety of business challenges has kept every day unique and exciting.

Can you share more about your new role at ChangeUp?

As a link between marketing and strategic partnerships, my role is to work with brands to help them navigate their business challenges and find the right solutions so they can ultimately have meaningful results. From the very first conversation, I focus on understanding their needs and aligning our expertise to deliver on ChangeUp’s core promise: creating real, lasting change for brands.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I most enjoy the people, the sheer variety of the work, and the application of creativity with tangible results.

Working with innovative, fun and intelligent people (both clients and colleagues) just makes every day interesting. And I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with some of the best. Together we have tackled everything from quantum computing and artificial intelligence to designing packaging for frozen chicken that works as well in the wet markets of SE Asia as it does in the supermarkets of Europe.

With all of that in mind, for a kid who wanted to be “a creative”, finding a job that demonstrates the power and impact of creativity on a global scale every day is a pretty cool experience.

What is a brand that you think is doing a great job of resonating with customers right now? 

I believe Chipotle does a great job of threading the needle of perceived value combined with perceived authenticity, along with a personalized experience. I think this mix resonates well with today’s consumer, as the brand has been able to maintain market share in a challenging environment; Especially compared to other fast casual and QSR chains, who message strongly around value but don’t get the halo effect of personalization or quality. It will be interesting to watch Chipotle’s evolution or whether they will simply ride the wave.

Another brand that I think is resonating well is Dick’s Sporting Goods. We’ve seen pretty turbulent times at a number of outdoor and athleisure retailers, but Dick’s has been able to buck this trend by staying really connected to their customers.

Dick’s has created retail experiences where fans can feel seen. The new Field House and House of Sport store formats feature batting cages, climbing walls, and golf simulators, giving customers more opportunities to connect with shared passions.

They have also kept their pulse on the latest products, from HOKA to On Running to Stanley 1913,  which were all ranked some of the fastest-growing outdoor brands in 2023. By stocking those brands, along with building their own labels, they offer a greater variety of options and price flexibility.

What excites you most about the work we do at ChangeUp? 

Honestly a lot. If I had to choose three, it would be the quality of the work, the creativity of the people, and the results!

ChangeUp has a world class team and an incredible roster of clients. But, more importantly, the team elevates the work to another level, blending science with art to deliver brands and experiences that really move the needle, encouraging clients to see things differently.