About

We are dedicated to engaging brands with people in new and unexpected ways.

We love projects that require genuine strategic brand understanding and the development of truly creative ideas that go beyond the normal, challenge conventions and uncover the hidden why’s that will have real positive impact on business.

OUR HISTORY

In 2006, The Sound was founded in a basement office in Vancouver, British Columbia with a simple purpose: always be smart and never be boring. We had a staff of two, a handful of clients and one wildly ambitious goal: to redefine the world of qualitative research.

This led us to integrate documentary filmmaking and editorial design into our process, and ultimately build a unique team of anthropologists, creatives and marketing professionals to ensure our work was as inventive and effective as possible.

Now, The Sound has grown to include six offices in four countries.

We’ve stayed true to our initial idea and pushed the boundaries of research, but also sharpened our innovation and strategy offering because we never only tell the human story, we always link it to our clients business. We now serve as a trusted brand advisor for clients all over the world… except Antarctica, but we are very open to it!

We still have all the clients we started with, plus a whole bunch more, and we’re still always smart, and never boring.

But we have moved out of the basement!

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Everything we do begins and ends with people.

People are complex, emotional and amazing. Which demands that our approach be complex, emotional and amazing. We understand it’s a privilege to become a part of someone’s life and we take this seriously. We are fearless in our methods to build empathy and understanding.

So we’re people-people.

De-mystifying what people think, feel and do is what makes us tick. We also believe it’s the soul of every good brand on the planet. Our goal is not to just deliver transformative results, but results that penetrate a brand right down to its DNA. We do that by telling stories about people in a way that captivates, inspires and delivers seriously awesome results.

Our leadership

Simon Dannat

CEO

Simon is an experienced CEO & Corporate Strategist. He started his career with L.E.K. Consulting, became Manager & Partner with Capgemini Consulting, & then CEO with KAE, a strategic branding and marketing consulting firm based in London.

Kelli Johnson

Chief Growth Officer

Kelli has spent her career moving people, brands and ideas towards new possibilities. At The Sound she has helped grow the US business, leaning on her strategy and innovation expertise. She’s now focused on helping The Sound make an even bigger impact on the world of consulting.

John Broderick

Vice President, New York

John is a veteran global researcher who is a founding member of The Sound and the New York team. John is a skilled facilitator and prides himself on delivering creative and inspiring workshops to land key insights that move brands forward.

Lindsey Boyle

Vice President, Vancouver

Lindsey is an experienced strategist and researcher with expertise in food and consumer technology for top brands including Google, AT&T, Maple Leaf Foods, and Nature’s Path Cereal.

Caroline Fletcher

Vice President, Toronto

Caroline is a dynamic researcher and strategist with experience gained on both client and agency sides of the fence. She has held research roles at MTV, MuchMusic, and Rogers Communications before joining The Sound in 2011.

Harjot Basra

Vice President and Head of Project Management

Harjot has well over a decade of experience in communications, publishing, and business management. She started her career as the publisher and editor of iStyle Magazine, a national print publication aimed at the South Asian diaspora in North America.

Dave Rees

Vice President and Head of Film

An editor with over 16 years experience in the film industry. He has over 60 hours of network television under his belt including Showtime's 'The L Word,' USA Network's 'The Dead Zone,' and 'Andromeda.'

Brynn Harris

Vice President and Head of Analysis

As a founding member of the Sound, Brynn has played an integral role in shaping what The Sound is today. She works closely with all our teams, uncovering powerful narratives that move people and brands. She is the mastermind of our Sound Track process and ensures that our work is always exceptional.

Stuart Knapman

Managing Director, London

Stuart is a highly experienced researcher and strategist with both client and agency-side experience. His client-side roles included Head of Pan-BBC Research and Head of BBC Future Media Research.

Mindy Cultra

VP, Head of Creative Analytics

Mindy has spent her career breaking conventions of what quantitative research can deliver - developing innovative approaches that uncover unique human insights, fuel ideas and inspire creative strategies. Her work has impacted brands such as Coca-Cola, Gap Inc., General Motors, P&G, Pfizer, Samsung and Visa.

Shonda Nelson

Head of Human Resources

A true HR pro; Shonda believes that if we focus on doing the right thing, the other stuff will fall into place. She enjoys being a strategic partner; supporting both business and individual success, bringing extensive people experience from IBM, CNA Insurance, common-ground marketing, Burson Marsteller, and more.

OUR INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT

The Sound University is the name for our internal training program.
We take training and development so seriously that we are not even allowed to write this section of the website in an irreverent manner.

TSU FEATURES

Intensive researcher training and certification (from beginner to advanced level)
Brand strategy and product innovation process development education
Guest-led presentations and workshops from some of the world’s leading branding and marketing thinkers
Off-site experiences designed to inspire us to think about the world in different ways

TSU EXPERIENCE

Just like in real university, you will try to doze off through lectures, fall in love with a fellow student, imbibe a range of things we do not endorse or approve of, and end up in massive debt (sorry, couldn’t help that…)