Founder and Managing Director of web design team Storm Consultancy and a human hub for the creative-digital industries in Bristol and Bath, David Kelly is a good man to know. We spoke to the web veteran about business, expansion and who could benefit from working with Storm.
TechSPARK: David, what inspired you to set up Storm Consultancy?
David Kelly: My business partner, Adam, and I first jumped into the tech world because we felt there was a massive hole in the service industry at that time.
Traditional advertising and print agencies were (and many still are) flat-footed and unable to deliver anything cutting edge or digital, and ‘technology companies’ were leviathans like CISCO and Microsoft.
“We spotted an opportunity to offer digital and technology services to both smaller innovative businesses and larger brands”
We spotted an opportunity to offer digital and technology services to both smaller innovative businesses and larger brands – something we’ve done very successfully since.
TS: Many of your clients are huge names we all know – the likes of Fender, Samsung, Yamaha, and metal band Metallica. There are also some very few people will have heard of. What range of work do you do and how do your clients find you?
DK: Almost all of the work we do at Storm involves using technology to create behavioural change. That could be for a large brand which needs higher engagement, or for a disruptive startup looking to build their first online product. Our speciality is in being a technology partner for businesses of all sizes, that can come in and work at pace, creating impact quickly and leaving you with something scalable.
“Almost all of the work we do at Storm involves using technology to create behavioural change”
TS: Are there any areas of digital that you’d like Storm to expand into?
DK: We’re currently investing into a lot of online technology startups and we’ve taken shareholdings in two companies this year. One is the world’s largest antibody search engine, the aim of which is to change the buying behaviour of the multi-billion dollar life science industry. The other is Jambalr, a property compliance company changing how small businesses keep track of their compliance needs.
TS: What brands or organisations do you think could most benefit from working with Storm? Who would you love to work with?
DK: Any company looking to shake things up within their industry would probably love a chat with us. We find that entrepreneurs and business people often have amazing ideas and want to change a norm, but usually don’t know the technological feasibility of that idea. That’s where we come in.
We’d love to work with some of the more ‘traditionally awful’ online experiences – things like interacting with your local council. We’d love the chance to shake up the way they usually interact with people online.
“Any company looking to shake things up a bit in their industry would probably love a chat with us”
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TS: You’re currently on the board of Creative Bath, you chair the Bath Digital Festival and help organise a number of tech events in the city. How are those groups having an impact on us locally?
DK: Bath has an amazing ability to hide phenomenal talent behind its Georgian façade. What we’re trying to do is make sure that those companies get the recognition they deserve through showcases, award events and bringing international speakers to the city, amongst other things. The Bath Digital Festival is in its third year, and it’s been better than ever.
TS: What do you believe are the biggest attractions of the South West?
DK: We’ve got a fantastic mix of talent in the region, from some of the UK’s top universities. Combine that with the relatively small geographical distance between Bath and Bristol and the quality of life that a city like Bath can provide, and I think you have a very attractive proposition for both businesses and employees. Only being less than one hour from London is also useful!
“Bath has an amazing ability to hide phenomenal talent behind its Georgian façade”
TS: Which tech companies in the region do you consider inspiring?
DK: There are so many brilliant tech companies locally that it’s very difficult to pick out a few. I’ve been particularly impressed with the guys down at Mystery Applicant though. They have over 20 million people using their job candidate tracking software worldwide and work with some of the world’s biggest brands – yet most people will never have heard of them.
I also have a huge amount of respect for the guys at Complete Control. The work they do with some of the world’s biggest kids’ brands is fantastic. The balance between tech and kids is actually a really tricky one to master.
TS: If you could book anyone to speak at a Bath Digital Festival event, who would they be?
DK: Looking at the lineup for this year’s Digital Festival, I think we’re really well represented by technologists – so I’d love to see more world-class technology entrepreneurs making their way to the city. Perhaps someone like Elon Musk!
Thanks go to David for taking the time to talk to us. To keep up with Storm’s latest work, follow them @StormUK.
