Hosting Red Badger’s Partner Day is always a highlight of my year, but this year felt particularly special.
Partnerships form a key part of our business development strategy; they are central to how we deliver value. Nielsen data suggests that buyers are four times more likely to purchase when referred by someone they trust. We have seen this truth play out in real-time over the last few years as we’ve doubled down on our ecosystem strategy, building deep credibility and trust alongside our partners.
The day was a fantastic opportunity to re-align on Red Badger’s market positioning and introduce our ecosystem to some of our recent strategic leadership hires, including Rachael Rea-Palmer (Director of Retail and Hospitality), Dan Cook (Director of Public Sector), and Mark Robison (Director of Digital Enterprise Solutions).
We focused heavily on the theme of "creating value together," reflecting on successful go-to-market campaigns from the past 12 months, such as launching Retail Visionaries with SCAYLE and our Personalisation that Delights campaign with Dynamic Yield.
The Client Perspective: Why Delivery Models Matter
One of the most valuable sessions of the day was hearing directly from our clients. It was incredibly insightful to host a dialogue with Karen Bates, Chief Digital and Information Officer at London Business School, and Jonty Angel, Chief Product and Technology Officer at LandTech.
Despite operating in different sectors, there was a clear overlap in their experiences of working with us.
Three key themes emerged regarding why they chose Red Badger:
The Power of Cohesive Teams
Both Karen and Jonty highlighted the distinct advantage of a consultancy over a group of individual contractors. While the contractor route can sometimes appear cheaper on paper, the value of a high-quality, pre-formed team cannot be overstated.
A Red Badger team hits the ground running on day one with established communication lines and culture, whereas a group of individuals often spends the first few weeks just learning how to work together.
Integrity in the Sales Process
A common frustration in the industry is the "bait and switch", meeting a senior team during the pitch, only to have a different team arrive for delivery. It’s not something we shout about enough (because we only have an 'A-team!'), but our clients noted how refreshing it was to have absolute continuity.
The people they met during the sales process were the same people driving the delivery.
Flexible, Specialized Capabilities
Beyond the core delivery team, our clients placed high value on the ability to flex.
Whether scaling the team size up or down, or reaching into the wider Red Badger team to pull in particular skill sets when required, that adaptability is crucial for long-term success.
Winning Together
We rounded off the day with a partner panel featuring representatives from Dynamic Yield, Fullstory, and SCAYLE, followed by interactive workshops on how we can ‘win together’ in the year ahead.
It was validating to hear that we are all navigating similar challenges, particularly in the current business development landscape. However, the mood was one of optimism.
We wrapped up the day with a room full of motivated partners, eager to build on a fantastic run in 2025 and execute on big plans for 2026.
Join our Ecosystem
If you are interested in exploring a strategic partnership with Red Badger to drive value for mutual clients, we’d love to talk. Drop us a message here.