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Alan Cooper – New Business Director
According to
his kids, Alan went to University in the Middle-Ages. He studied Psychology and
Sociology at Leeds University (a wise choice meaning he only had to spend 8
hours a week in lectures – and still managed a 50% attendance rate!). They had
just one computer; he thinks it might have been the only one in Yorkshire.
Following
university, the beginning of Alan’s career was in Advertising Planning. At the
time an embryonic discipline, it’s now called UX in the industry. Although he
never had any big plans for starting his own business, when the Ad world went
pop in 1989 his – “ahem” – generous
redundancy was enough to move from running the agency’s video production unit
into running his own video production company. During this time, in the world
of corporate video, Alan found his love for working with good brands and
companies.
Alan also loves
new ‘stuff.’ So when the world started to become interactive, he embraced it
fully and his love of the cutting-edge, combined with his passion for recognising and delivering to clients’ different needs,
made the decision to move the business towards digital marketing an obvious
one.
For Alan, life
outside of work is increasingly harder than inside – an endless logistical
challenge with 3 kids, swimming pools, schools and (when he can summon the
energy left from that lot) training for his own competitive swimming career.
He’s still hanging on to a British Record which he dangles in front of the kids
every time they complain about training…
Alan
says:
“Digital is the perfect place for me – fast
moving, evolving at speed and totally immersive.
In an
increasingly technology driven world, I still believe we can deliver real
solutions pragmatically and honestly, without the need for jargon or technical
obstacles. I’ve worked with 2 of our clients for over 20 years so I’m trying not
to change too much. The challenge is identifying which bits not to change, in a
world which has launched 10 new technologies since I started this sentence!!”