Parkes quits Rapp to lead Wonderhood Studios CX team

Rapp UK chief strategy officer Caroline Parkes is leaving the agency to join Wonderhood Studios to head up a customer experience and CRM operation, designed to complement the business’ advertising, data insight, social content and TV services.

Caroline will join the co-founders and senior management team of chief strategy officer Jessica Lovell, chief creative officer Aidan McClure and chief executive Alex Best in September.

Established in 2018, Wonderhood insists it is “small enough to care, big enough to deliver” and its client lise includes Nike, Three, Starling Bank, Branston, Hargreaves Lansdown and Sarson’s.

Parkes has been at Rapp since 2018, when she took up the then newly created role of head of strategic consulting, after a spell running her own consultancy, ColourPop Marketing; she was promoted to chief strategy officer in 2022.

Prior to that she was chief strategy officer at Cherry London and has also held senior strategy roles at Lida, Proximity London, Craik Jones, Joshua G2 – agency brands which now sit in the direct marketing agency graveyard.

Over the years, she has worked across a range of industries including retail, telecoms, financial services and FMCG.

Wonderhood Studios group CEO David Abraham (pictured, left) said: “Wonderhood is a company built on vivid and original storytelling for brands, platforms and channels. We see customer experience as a natural extension to our neighbourhood of skills – one that will help our partners to bring their brand stories alive in an always-on world.

“We had to think carefully about how to marry these worlds and in Caroline we are confident that we have found an exceptional industry leader who shares our values as well as bringing very significant levels of expertise and experience to the top of Wonderhood.”

Parkes (pictured, right) added: “Brands are shaped by every single interaction a customer has with a business. To truly succeed in competitive markets, businesses must focus on delivering a unique and differentiated customer experience.

“While data and technology have revolutionised how we can enhance CX, it’s creativity that truly elevates and sets it apart. I’m thrilled to join a thriving business where storytelling and the fight against homogeneity are deeply valued. I firmly believe in pursuing joy, and this opportunity brings me an abundance of it.”

Even Parkes’ former boss at Rapp UK, chief executive Gabby Ludzker, has wished her well – a sentiment which is virtually unheard of in the agency world. She said: “Rapp has had six amazing years of Caroline’s strategic brilliance and her infectious energy. We can’t wait to see what she achieves in this next chapter and will be looking on with pride.”