Former Rapp data managing director Colin Bradshaw has joined forces with Jobsworth Recruitment founder Ian Thomas to launch a new AirBnB-style consultancy for the marketing data and insight industry.
Bradshaw left Rapp in 2014 after five years heading up the agency’s data division (formerly known as Identex). He has been working on the concept of the new joint venture – Velocity Programs – with Thomas for a number of months and the consultancy is now ready for launch.
Its offering, which gathers together freelance talent from across the industry, is hardly a new concept; Idea Motel, set up by Mark Fiddes and Charity Charity, provides a similar service for creative, as do other consultancies.
But the duo claim Velocity is a first for the data and insight industry because it not only offers the best freelance talent to work on the development of solutions, it also uses Thomas’ contacts to place permanent staff at clients to take over programmes once they are in place.
Bradshaw explains: “Velocity Programs takes the pain out of developing strategy and implementing solutions in data, insight and digital solutions by using the best talent with the right skills from across the market place at the best price.
“We specialise in providing whole teams of freelance resources to deliver business change through data and digital solutions, usually in customer management or communications. We programme-manage from beginning to end, from strategic vision to project delivery to make sure our clients get the right resources at the right time and only when they need them for as long as they need them.”
Bradshaw, who has over 20 years’ experience in the industry having started at Lloyds before spending a decade at Royal Mail, claims the proposition offers clients three clear benefits: the best people in the industry to work on their project; cost savings of up to 30% compared to traditional project delivery, and the chance for clients to upskill their organisation so they are not dependant on outside help after implementation.
Thomas launched Jobsworth Recruitment over 12 years ago, having had spells at Getty and Claritas, and he will continue to do so alongside the new venture.
He said: “The huge choice and increasing complexity of marketing technology has led to ever complicated job roles, with clients invariably trying to force fit three or more mutually exclusive skills sets into one role under one set budget with inevitable and significant delays in skill resourcing and project delivery.
“Velocity Programs allows our clients to access the multiple skills needed to move their business forward at the right budget at the right time. We provide best of breed consultants, experts in their field, who would normally be outside of our client’s budget range. In addition by accessing the ‘skills cloud’ we work with our clients to build a unique programme suited to their budget.”
