Dave Head - Founder, Northern Design & Digital Marketing.
Did you always envisage a career in the Marketing and Media Industry?
Yes I did. I’ve been obsessed with colouring in since I was a young lad. I thought I’d be a designer, and for a while I was, but design’s always been tied to marketing, so one thing naturally led to the other. Then I discovered the tech side of the business and that got me hooked. Digital Marketing became my thing. All of it. Strategy, content, the lot. One of my old bosses once said, “If you can’t dazzle them with diamonds, baffle them with bullshit.” That line has stuck with me for years.
How did your career kick off?
Straight out of university I landed a great job as the sole Designer for CitizenM Hotels. That took me to Amsterdam which changed everything. I learned so much over there. I worked on everything from quirky guerilla campaigns to sleek email sequences, and designed anything you can imagine – even shower caps. When I moved back to the UK, I actually struggled more than I expected. The Dutch are brutally honest, and over here, that same directness was perceived as being rude. It took me a little while to find the right balance.
What’s been the biggest challenge?
Staying seen. When you’re running your own business, wearing all the hats, delivering the work and building your name at the same time, it’s a lot. Being visible while keeping up the quality and consistency is a difficult job.
Who are your Heroes and Mentors?
Rory Sutherland’s marketing brain is unreal and Riley Brown is doing clever things with AI. But truthfully? My mam and dad. They were a real business driving force together. While my mam ran her design business for 25 years, working with brands like Nissan, Bentley and Jaguar Land Rover, my dad was right there alongside her. Together they built a mini property empire on top of it all. They grafted hard, built something real and showed me what it means to run a business with heart and ambition. Watching them both work as a team made a massive impact on me.
What fictional character can you relate to?
When I was young I was very like Dennis the Menace from the Beano comic. Full of beans and always up to something. These days I’ve calmed down, but there’s still a spark of cheek and a need to push buttons now and then.
What is your greatest strength?
I’m always looking for a smarter way. I can’t stand hearing “that’s just how we’ve always done it.” No it isn’t. There’s always a better way. That drive to improve and keep things interesting is what keeps me going.
And your biggest weakness?
Taking on too much. I’m into everything – web, design, photography, email, PPC, you name it. I love it all and I want to be involved in it all. Sometimes that spreads me a little to thinly. However being a jack-of-all-trades has its perks. I can jump into any part of a project and actually make it better. The full saying goes, “Jack of all trades, master of none, but often times better than master of one” – and that sums me up perfectly. I’d rather know enough to get stuck in and make a difference across the board than be boxed into just one thing.
What has been your proudest achievement?
Outside of raising my son, which is hands down number one, I’d say a freelance project where I helped design for genetically modified mosquitoes. It played a part in reducing malaria and it still blows my mind to this day.
Where do you want to go next?
I want to grow NORTHERN into a full service agency, built on good people doing good work for other good people. I still want to get the crayons out daily and I’m certainly not aiming to run a massive corporate beast. I just want to keep helping businesses I believe in, doing creative work that gets real results.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever had?
“If you can’t dazzle with diamonds, baffle with bullshit” will always be up there, but “shy bairns get nowt” is the one I live by. Ask the question. Send the message. Make the move. Being polite doesn’t mean being passive.
Where do you think your industry is heading?
AI is going to keep shaking things up. And I’m here for it. It’s not about replacing people, it’s about getting rid of the dull, repetitive tasks we all hate. It gives me more time to be creative and strategic, and that’s where the real value is.
How do you unwind?
I climb. It keeps me grounded and gives my brain a break. And I won’t lie, there’s the odd late-night doomscroll on the sofa. That’s marketing life, right?
northerndigital.uk
