Marc Gough: agency founder, chairman and brand strategist.

My history in Vietnam

• JWT Vietnam (WPP)

  Managing Director, 2002 to 2003. I was recruited to stabilise the agency, strengthen its creative work and rebuild relationships with clients including Unilever, PepsiCo and Ford. I developed the team and recruited local leadership for the longer term, and the agency won Unilever Ad of the Year for Sunsilk.

• Unilever Vietnam

  Marketing Coach and Business Unit Leader, Knorr, 2003 to 2004. I coached brand managers and leadership teams, then took on leadership of Knorr. I led its reformulation, packaging, positioning and campaign relaunch, with sales increasing 350% in the following year.

• Purple Asia

  Partner and Executive Chairman, 2004 to 2024. A brand, creative and digital agency serving Vietnam and Southeast Asia. I worked alongside the founder and leadership team for 20 years, guiding strategy, commercial decisions and regional growth through market changes and digital disruption. I sold my equity back to the founder in 2024.

• Red - brand builders

  Founder and Chairman, 2004 to 2015. I established a design agency at Unilever Vietnam’s invitation, with an initial allocation of 80% of its national packaging design work. The partnership lasted more than a decade. In parallel I grew the wider client base across Indochina and into Media and Digital. Red - brand builders brought together both offers in one agency. I sold the business in 2015.

Career highlights

• AI startups

  Founder, past 12 months. I’m developing AI startups as a founder, building on my experience in business, brand strategy and creative leadership.

• So Design

  Owner and Managing Director, 2010 to present. An Australian branding and packaging design business, established in 1988 and acquired in 2010. I won Australia Post’s packaging design account in a pitch against 20 agencies in 2012, building a 12-year relationship through to its 2024 restructure, including a three-year contract for organisation-wide creative services. I have led long-term branding and packaging work for SPC, Goulburn Valley and McCormick Foods.

• Homewares Group / Bunnings Brands

  Strategic Brand and Creative Director, 1998 to present. I helped grow an importing business into a major Bunnings category partner, with more than 500 products in its national range. I created GRUNT and developed the respect, MOJO and EDEN brands across hardware, outdoor furniture and gardening.

• Kellogg’s

  Agency partner, then Director of Marketing and Sales for Australia. I worked for five years with Kellogg’s as their agency partner for product launches, trade presentations, sales training and merchandising. Over that period the business experienced strong growth and that later led to my recruitment by Kellogg’s as Director of Marketing and Sales for Australia.

• Burger King Asia-Pacific

  Director of Marketing, 1995 to 1998. I led Hungry Jack’s national brand relaunch, including identity, store design, merchandising and the campaign “The burgers are better at Hungry Jack’s”. I also led market entries in the Philippines, South Korea and Malaysia, and Burger King’s relaunch in Japan.

• Gough & Company

  Founder and Managing Director, 1986 to 1990. I built an advertising and brand agency serving clients including 7-Eleven, MasterFoods, Pedigree, Unilever and Kellogg’s, and sold it to Magnus, Nankervis & Curl.

Read the full career history →