Gen Z influencer agency, Bulla Co. announces digital marketing pioneer, Justin Cooke as new Chairman

Company announces new leadership amid company growth, including recent completion of first strategic acquisition

Bulla Co, an early-stage Gen Z influencer agency who have recently closed their six-figure pre-seed round, has appointed Justin Cooke as the company’s new Chairman. Cooke is a highly esteemed marketing and technology industry entrepreneur, investor and leader, ranked by Business Insider as one of the “coolest tech investors in the UK”.

Cooke’s appointment comes at an exciting time for Bulla Co. as they have had a year of significant transformations and expansions. These upcoming changes are marked by a strategic acquisition of leading student marketing agency, Hype Collective, known for its world-class experiential expertise, and recent investments in its cutting-edge proprietary technology, a social-led influencer platform. These developments, along with this significant appointment, are set to propel the company into a formidable position of influence within the industry.

As an advisor, investor and entrepreneur with over 25 years experience in media, marketing and tech Justin has a proven track-record of scaling-up businesses, he successfully founded the global digital agency,  Fortune Cookie, which he grew to 250 people and $30 million in revenue before selling to WPP in 2012.

Previously on the board of FutureLearn, the digital learning company from Open University, he is the former Vice Chair of Unicef UK, former Chair of The Drum, and former Chair of the British Interactive Media Association, and the British Museum’s Digital Advisory Board.

Justin has been a venture partner at Northzone, recently ranked the world’s 5th best performing venture capital investor. with a portfolio including Kahoot!, Tier, Trustpilot, Personio, and Klarna. Other investments and directorships in Justin’s portfolio include Attest, Blippar, ClubSpark, CyberDuck, Digital Theatre, Edit Cloud, Learning with Experts, ScreenCloud, and SharpEnd.

The acquisition of Hype Collective took effect on June 19th, 2023, and brings together the resources and expertise of both companies. This union allows for enhanced services and expanded growth opportunities.

Justin Cooke, Chairman at Bulla Co said:  “I am excited to announce my new role as Chairman of Bulla Co. What captivated my enthusiasm about Bulla Co is their deep understanding, pace, and unwavering commitment to innovation within the dynamic influencer marketing sector. I’m looking forward to taking all I’ve learned over the past 26 years and helping develop our proposition to be even more enticing for global clients and to scale Bulla Co all over the world. The next 10 years will see our industry go through another huge wave of disruption and Bulla Co is perfectly poised to help define and capitalise this new age.

Josh and his world class team are reinventing the way brands engage with audiences through their creator platform enabling brands to seamlessly identify and connect with accredited, recognised, and relevant creators across every social media platform, leading to deeper engagement and higher conversion. Our recent acquisition of Hype Collective,emphasises the ongoing need for real-world, humanised and culturally significant content and experiences..”

Joshua Roche, CEO at Bulla Co said: “I was introduced to Justin at the back-end of 2022 and from the beginning he made an immediate and lasting impression! Not only is he one of the most experienced and brightest individuals I have met, but what I really admired was his entrepreneurial spirit, energy, ambition, and most importantly, his values. Together, with Justin, we will embark on an extraordinary journey that promises to shake up the industry and reinvent the way brands are connecting with creators, with his insatiable hunger for greatness, unwavering drive and appetite for success which truly sets him apart.”

Source: Bulla Co.

  Agency, Appointment, Bulla Co, Chairman, Justin Cooke, UK