Interview with Cat Leaver

Tell us about yourself. How did you end up in your current role?

Originally from the Scottish Borders, I studied in Glasgow, held a number of marketing related roles, voluntary positions like TEDxGlasgow and seven years in a digital agency, before starting in my current role as Director of Brand Scotland. Working in a dynamic agency environment with international clients allowed me the opportunity to develop my commercial awareness alongside my strategic and marketing skills. I was afforded a unique insight into the inner workings of businesses from major blue chip companies through to public sector organisations, working to support them in shaping digital transformation and marketing strategies that drove tangible results.

But, it was a combination of my network and fate that led to me being in the right place at the right time when Brand Scotland was being created. I was considering my next move and what I wanted to do when I heard about the ambitions for Brand Scotland. A groundbreaking new initiative for Scotland, it offered an unparalleled opportunity to work across our national organisations promoting the best product there is – our country. The role was well positioned for the experience of a private sector professional who could take on the challenge of enhancing the country’s reputation and identity, with an understanding of the power of brand and digital. I applied and the rest, as they say, is history.

What brands are you most impressed by at the moment? Any campaigns which have particularly caught your eye?

There have been so many companies turn their operations to support communities and the economy. It’s incredible to see such force for good despite the challenging times. From manufacturers switching to the production of PPE to drinks companies delivering hand sanitiser, our sense of community and social responsibility has never felt so acute.

The ones who have really caught my attention are the likes of BrewDog, who are not just talking a good game, but walking it. They’re building on a history of innovative thinking and smart business choices that challenge the norm. Pre the current pandemic, they’d announced their ‘Cans for Equity’ initiative, whereby anyone can exchange 50 cans of their beer for a share in the company, incentivising recycling and sustainable business practice. And, in light of coronavirus, they have brought in a number of initiatives to support the industry like the BrewDog Kickstart Collective, the co-founders have shown leadership by committing to forgo their salaries for the rest of the year with many of the senior team also volunteering to take pay cuts, they’ve created their NHS packs donating all profits to NHS charities and volunteered their trucks and drivers to do home deliveries to those in isolation in their local community.

From a campaign perspective, I’m not usually one to go for the political but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (AOC) latest campaign video is refreshingly bold, hard-hitting and youthful. It captures a movement in America and faces into tough challenges and multiple crisis.