Scott Goodson

Scott Goodson, CEO of StrawberryFrog and author of Uprising featured on Bloomberg TV

Scott Goodson (born 20 September 1963) is founder and chairman of StrawberryFrog, a global cultural movement firm and the author of the book Uprising: How to Build Your Brand and Change the World by Sparking Cultural Movements.^[1] He has worked with leading worldwide companies, including Ikea, Pfizer, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, Mitsubishi, Smart, and Microsoft. In his book Uprising, he argues that “movement marketing” is the best—and perhaps only—way for companies to connect with consumers in the age of social media, and when done effectively the interaction between companies and consumers can lead to positive social change.^[2] In Activate Brand Purpose, Goodson exposes flaws in the prevailing thinking around purpose, and provides a new, deeply researched foundation and approach. It focuses on the most challenging part of purpose: how to activate it inside and outside your company, and how to avoid its decay over time.^[3]

In 2019, Scott launched StrawberryFrog's Change Management practice focusing on transformation of employees and company culture with clients such as Walmart and Coca Cola.  StrawberryFrog uses creativity to solve business problems rather than data analytics. Goodson started his marketing career in Stockholm, Sweden, launching Bjorn Borg’s fashion line and is part of a group of marketers who emerged from the Swedish advertising industry in the late 1980s and 1990s. His peers include other Swedish creative thinkers who have broken out on the world stage. The inventiveness and visual style of this marketing did much to shape the evolution of contemporary advertising.^[4] Goodson and his cofounder Karin Drakenberg moved to Amsterdam in the late 1990s to start StrawberryFrog with the launch of the small two-seat smart car as their founding client along with IKEA and Ericsson smart phones, the world leader at the time. “We built the agency around an open-room principle. From this platform emerged speed, friendship, respect and all the important things that are needed to make it happen. Our office is housed in a large open space in the penthouse of a building on Madison Avenue and it allows us to work with a lot of motivation, inspiration and knowledge because it’s all-open and everyone is mixed together. Everyone knows and appreciates each other’s work and if anyone is called away of feeling ill someone can come in and keep the process going,” says Scott Goodson, co-founder of StrawberryFrog.^[5]

Early life[]

Goodson was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and was educated at Bishop's College School in Lennoxville, Quebec. He earned a H.B.A. from Western University in London before moving to Stockholm, Sweden where he was co-owner of Welinder Advertising.^[6]

In 1999, he moved to Amsterdam to found StrawberryFrog with Karin Drakenberg,^[7] and later in 2004 the New York office.^[8]

Work[]

He wrote the global movement strategy and motto for Emirates entitled 'Hello Tomorrow' and with those words came an idea, not just for an ad campaign, but for what Goodson has coined a “cultural movement,” in which, through powerful storytelling, words, images, music and film, Emirates Airline would be shown as the catalyst for connecting a new global culture—not a culture of flatbeds, stellar service and in-flight meals but one of shared aspirations, values, enthusiasm and dreams. The power of a movement can change habits and rally millions.^[9] Goodson did the same with 'Make History' motto for Jim Beam;^[10] and he also wrote the movement strategy and motto 'RISE' for the Mahindra Group.^[11]

For SunTrust Bank, Goodson penned the 'onUp' cultural movement about confidence and determination for millions of Americans who feel stuck in financial stress. It launched on Super Bowl 50.^[12] By January 2017, over 1 Million people had joined the onUP movement.^[13]

Goodson launched a new city for the Government of Dubai, the new 145 km². master-planned city developed in partnership with the emirate of Dubai. The city is designed to be a "smart" and sustainable city and a pivotal hub in the global economy.^[14] Goodson penned both the name Dubai South and the tagline of the "City of You", with his agency chosen on the back of Goodson's previous work for Emirates Airline’s ‘Hello Tomorrow’ creative idea and EMAAR's Downtown Dubai ‘Centre of Now’. His campaign features the work of illustrator Mats Gustafson, who created original watercolour sketches that capture Dubai South’s people-centric approach city living.^[15]

Goodson is the author of Uprising: How to Build a Brand and Change the World by Sparking Cultural Movements.^[16][17]

Personal life[]

Goodson is married to Karin Drakenberg and has two sons, Jacoby and Ellis. He lives in New York.^[18]

StrawberryFrog[]

Goodson founded StrawberryFrog in Amsterdam in 1999 and later opened offices in New York, Mumbai, Singapore and São Paulo.^[19][20][21]

References[]

External links[]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Scott Goodson

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scott Goodson.

• Uprising: How to Build a Brand and Change the World by Sparking Cultural Movements
• StrawberryFrog