Edinburgh Innovations, the innovation management service for the University of Edinburgh, is among Rationale’s recent business wins, with the Svein Clouston and Rowan Morrison co-founded agency also counting Boston-based not-for-profit Grads of Life, Japanese carbon fibre manufacturer Toray International, and two major New York banks in its client base.

Rowan Morrison, managing director and co-founder at Rationale, said: “Essentially, Rationale supports brands to turn purpose into performance, working with clients to define, articulate and amplify what matters most to their audiences and it’s great to see this approach resonate with clients globally.”

Former J.Walter Thompson Hong Kong chairman and CEO Mark Webster has also joined Rationale as non-executive director. Clouston and Morrison aim to grow the team further in 2021 and recently moved to a new headquarters in Edinburgh at the Stephen Leach-owned 15 Queen Street office complex. Rationale also opened London and New York offices in 2020 to be closer to its clients in the UK and North America.

Mark Webster’s career spans over 25 years working as a brand, marketing and communications professional and executive leader across Asia-Pacific before becoming J.Walter Thompson Hong Kong Chairman and CEO in 2017.

Mark Webster, said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Rationale as Non-Executive Director. What they’ve achieved in their debut year is incredible. They’ve set themselves up with a compelling and incisive proposition and I look forward to supporting Rowan and Svein. Brand purpose is an often misunderstood concept, but I love how Rationale brings deep strategic thinking and clarity to this marketing essential. Today, it’s imperative for marketers, and indeed the C-Suite, to be ahead of the curve.”

Rowan Morrison added: “Having Mark on board is invaluable. His experience is wide-ranging, he has a great view of how we create an inclusive and welcoming culture at Rationale, and we can’t wait to continue our expansion with the benefit of his guidance.”

Rationale says one key trend it has experienced since the onset of the pandemic is around clients focusing on how they attract and retain talent, by communicating a strong values-driven employer brand and also showing how they make a positive social impact. In turn, says Rationale’s Strategy Director Svein Clouston, this is informing how brands engage with their external audiences.

Svein Clouston, strategy director and co-founder, Rationale, commented: “We’re seeing an increased focus on purpose-driven marketing strategies which prioritise storytelling and high-quality creative execution to achieve more emotive and innovative content experiences.”

“We believe success comes from a culture that nurtures people’s creativity and curiosity. We’ve worked hard to embed this from day one in our staff culture programme, and are proud to see our people growing with us as the agency takes shape and expands globally.”