Interview with Unilever's Digital Planning Manager Alex Dinsdale

I recently caught up with Alexandra Dinsdale, a Digital Planning Manager for Unilever, who is currently a mentor for Collider. We discussed the Collider experience, top tips for startups, and the wider startup community which is blossoming in the UK.  1. Hi Alex, thank you so much for taking the time to have this chat. To start off, please can you explain what you do on a daily basis as Digital Planning Manager for Unilever?

I partner our global brand development teams helping plan strategic marketing programs across digital channels. This includes selecting technology solutions, services and partners, as well as enabling the brands and categories to surface and share best practices.

2. What are your favourite websites or apps at the moment?

I’m a big fan of TheFancy.com, a website and app that brings together crowd-curated fashion, gadgets and places. Like Pinterest, it’s really visual and imagery-based, and I’m continually discovering weird and wonderful things that I want to buy, (but don’t necessarily need!). I also spend a lot of time using Flipboard on my iPad. The variety of stories, news, and content all brought together in a beautiful magazine format makes it very easy to become immersed.

3. What exciting ideas/prospects keep you awake at night?

Unilever’s ambition is to grow the business while reducing our environmental footprint and increase the positive contribution we make to society. For me, the opportunity to make Sustainable Living the centre of a brand’s proposition and find innovative ways to get these messages to our consumers is an incredibly exciting challenge. As technologies rapidly evolve, and consumption of media changes, there’s always a new opportunity to pilot something that’s not been done before.

4. What things might be a clincher when considering a deal with startups?

BRING MAGIC! Seeing real passion, energy and focus in the team. Also to keep it simple. Work out what the company stands for, and stick to this with a clear, targeted proposal.

5. Do you have any major no-nos in terms of pitches?

Do not baffle the audience with figures and science. Understand why your proposition would benefit the recipient in a clear, transparent approach.

6.  Accordingly, any things that you like to see during pitches?

To hear why the proposition is new and unique and how it could grow. Startups have the luxury of being able to adapt and change quickly. It would be great to see hunger, passion and agility come through during the pitch.

7. What are your opinions on startups knowing their figures and how exact they should be?

It’s important to have considered the revenue model so they are aware of their base costs, how they are able to monetize, and to be very aware of their audience. Ultimately who the proposition will appeal to. Firm figures aren’t completely necessary as they may change depending on the customer. Being open to further guidance is good.

8. What are your views on the UK startup scene, especially when compared with America?

The UK startup scene is very fresh and exciting. We worked with Betapond on our Waterworks initiative and were really impressed by their work, knowledge and ethos. For certain projects, the flexibility and new thinking startups offer is a great asset, as well as the ability to run fast and respond quickly. The US scene is more mature and better established. There is a huge amount to learn from the US globally.

9. What experience and feedback from mentoring process at Collider?

It has been a tremendously interesting experience. I am relatively new to ventures and startups, so it has been eye-opening in many ways. The startups I’ve mentored have asked great questions and are very receptive to feedback. I’ve loved seeing the updates and progress made between sessions. The video introductions were a great way to meet the startups initially and quickly gain a clear idea of who the team are and their business.

Thank you so much Alex, and we look forward to continuing to work with you. 

Interview with Dibbz

Dibbz is a London-based startup that is making brand engagement in apps and games more meaningful than the regular old banner ads we’re used to. As one of the Collider12 startups, they are receiving lots of support and mentorship to help their thriving business along. To share what they've learnt, we caught up with Nick and Elliot, the co-founders of Dibbz. 1. How did you come up with the idea?

Nick: Elliot and I are both keen gamers, and we were just so frustrated with banner adverts on mobiles.

Elliot: It felt that mobile games were moving so fast but there was no decent way for the developers to monetise. Good games were getting played less because of the frustration over banner ads.

N: We met while completing our a Masters in Technology Entrepreneurship from the University of London, and shared this hatred of banner ads.

2. So you got the idea, but what was the actual push to make it? So many people have a creative idea, but it takes a lot of guts to pull it off.  

E: During our degree, we had the chance to pitch our idea to people in the industry. We also went to Match and Hack events to look for developers. So even while the idea was still floating about, we had the concept printed onto paper to demonstrate it to everyone we met.

N: This was in July 2012, and although we did meet people, no one seemed to really run with the idea. We don't blame them, we were so early it was ridiculous to expect anything else.

3. So how did you meet your developer?

E: In the end, a friend posted on Facebook asking for a developer and we found a great friend of a friend to make the first version of the demo. Unfortunately his parents got ill so he had to leave.

N: After this sad set back, we decided we would give ourselves a 3 month deadline to work on it full time, and then call it a day after that if it doesn't work.

E: Everything was moving so quickly, and having those 3 months to work solidly on it made all the difference.

N: We got through to Wayra as well, but we turned it down to work with Collider.

E: And we're both very pleased we chose Collider.

4. How has Collider helped Dibbz grow?

E: Having Andy Tait as a mentor at Collider has been an invaluable experience. He has been the truest definition of a mentor, and been such a  great help at events by advising us which ones to go and offering to make introductions.

6. What is the biggest landmark in the growth of Dibbz?

N: Our aim as always remained the same, so probably the biggest landmarks have come in our strategy. With help from Fiona, we decided to no longer make cold calls; we have so many connections from Collider, we have no need to anymore.

E: We were just focusing on games at first, because its what we know and love. However, when talking to an app publisher at an event, they asked if it could go on all games, and so we thought 'why not?' If the demand is there, why limit to games? That's a pretty big landmark too.

7. How do you keep maintain motivation?

N: We are relaxed about working hours, so to avoid the rush hour we tend to come to the offices between 10-11am, and then stay unitl the evening and go to networking events.

E: We really think this new modern way of working is far more productive than the normal 9-5.30 routine. We play games on Fridays, have an shared Spotify for the office, and hold regular debates about which is the best Star Wars. We always look forward to going to work, and even play games which each other remotely in our free time.

8. What's next for Dibbz?

• Be releasing IOS and Android soon
• Affiliates: burger king, ask Italian, vouchers
• Quotsta:
• Go to the app store to the download it
• Android Launching: 10-50million distribution, t player reactor
• Sods law developed on IOS, give data from the IOS

9. What advice do you give to other startups?

• Networking in startup events, likeminded scene
• intimate community helps each other out, very impressed
• Making intros, seeing new faces,
• Apps Junction, Mobile Mondays, Games Jams great way to meet games developers
• Like Hackathon but for games, gameathon
• LIUG, Google Campus host a lot, Games Developer Lunch
• Using twitter to contact developers as they are active on that

5. How did you expand your team?

1. Hired Piers, friend from School
2. Found Gurav, Prof in Computer Science, past in ad and was excited and asked to come in and pitch to make it an academic project
3. Already had an app in the iStore, entrepreneurial too, built the
4. IOS Developer, also designed all the SDK, built it and programmed it
5. Pivotal and fundamental to the app
6. Hired Piers, Jan, and Gurav in Februrary

Thanks Team Dibbz! keep up the great work and we'll check  in again soon.

Collider12 Startup Featured on Wired

One of our startups, Seeker Industries, has been featured on Wired as their Startup of the Week. Click here to read their interview, and find out what their biggest barrier to success is, and their best piece of advice.

GrowthBusiness Feature Collider12

GrowthBusiness is an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs and leaders of fast-growth enterprises, so we are proud to see Collider12 feature on their front page. The article includes video interviews with one of our co-founders, Rose Lewis, and two of our startups, Avocarrot and Locomizer. They share their experience with the Collider12 accelerator, and offer other startups advice on how to raise finance. View the article here to read the whole piece.

New Moment.Us Interview

huddled is a site dedicated to business news in the North West. Launched in January 2013, huddled is created by a team of North-West based journalists dedicated to providing up-to-date news relating to local companies and issues that affect businesses in the area. Most recently, huddled interviewed the brains behind Collider12 startup Moment.Us, which you can watch below. http://youtu.be/GSOQVrZhyQI