Meet Wells Davis | Brand Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wells Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wells, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had been working in advertising for 20 years as a Strategist and was the Chief Strategy Officer and partner at David & Goliath Advertising.. We got bought out and I decided I can use my experience to start my own consultancy. The Davis Conspiracy.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My firm is called the Davis Conspiracy. I called that because marketing is a conspiracy between the client and the agency to get you to love their brand and become an advocate of it to others. I think what sets me apart in the industry is the fact thta I work in a profession that is largely white and I get to put my perspective in from my upbringing plus my professional experience working in corporate America allows me to bring fresh and unique insights.
I got in the profession by a recruiter who contacted me at the research firm I was working at. They said they wanted in-house research and strategy. I was one of the first in-house strategists at McCann when I started.. I would work 70 to 80 hours a week just to stay ahead. I was the only Black person in the entire firm at the time. My challenge was getting them to accept my initial strategies. I have learned to be brief but insightful. Use the data and the insight to write briefs that read like an inspirational story for creatives.
I want people to know that you just have to put in the work., stay ahead of the trends,. understand insight versus information and write inspirational vs informational briefs.,

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would first take them to Manhattan Beach. It is dog-friendly and they have many outdoor dining spots. The next day I would take them to Soho Malibu Beach House where we can eat and sometimes see dolphins while we eat and drink on the outdoor patio.. On the weekend I would take them to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The acoustics are incredible. Finally we would end up at Issa Rae’s new spot Somerville. It is stunningly designed and there is great live music and beautiful creative Black people all around .

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out Adcolor the organization that recognizes and awards talent to professionals of color in the ad industry. It introduced me to many exceptionally intelligent and talented people of color in our industry

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/wells-davis-91a8197