About Macleodglba

An agile global shaper with the ability to conceive excellence in fit for purpose design that can work at scale.

Gail Macleod is the founder and president of Macleodglba Brisbane Australia, retired president and founder of Stratcom Branding GLBA [established in 1994, Johannesburg, South Africa], Strategic Director of bstrat GLBA [established in 2019, Johannesburg, South Africa – 100% BBBEE] and co-founder and board member of the GLBA [Global Local Branding Alliance], established in 2013.

GLBA comprises eight multi-award-winning strategic brand and packaging agencies in New York, Berlin, Sao Paulo, *Moscow, Istanbul, Shanghai, Johannesburg and Brisbane.

Key ingredients include: bridging the divide between management, marketing, RnD, shopper, legislation, distribution and procurement, to truly delight the Strategic Value Customer [SVC]; and to Know Your Customer Deeply [KYCD] in business to business [B2B] and business to consumer [B2C] through research, collaboration, innovation sprints, current scenario discovery, intellectual property management, networking, career mentorship and training.

Gail adjudicates, collaborates, and consults on innovation including packaging and the commercialisation thereof.

Qualifications

UJ_University of Johannesburg [National Diploma in Graphic Design]

WITS University of the Witwatersrand [Graduate School of Business Administration SMME]

UCT_University of Cape Town [Get Smarter certificate – Digital Marketing]

UCT_University of Cape Town [Get Smarter certificate – Business Analytics]

UCT_University of Cape Town [Get Smarter certificate – Accounting Technology & Bookkeeping]

Capabilities

Excellent analytical skills
Excellent creative thinker
Excellent ability to manage multiple complex large-scale brand & packaging projects simultaneously
Excellent at traditional and digital marketing strategy and project feasibility studies
Excellent brand and packaging architect
Excellent brand, product and packaging innovation workshop host, results orientated with consumer, shopper, e-commerce and technical analysis
Proficient security print knowledge
Excellent strategic and problem-solving skills
Excellent managerial skills and people management >25 and <450
Excellent creative thinking, in packaging ideation of all formats, closures, anti-tamper, anti-counterfeit and sustainable with high distribution capabilities
Excellent digital competence in track and trace smart packaging
Excellent complex project management skills
Excellent virtual team enabler and motivator
Excellent graduate trainer
Proficient local and global speaker
Excellent at competitive global ideation sprints
Excellent in all digital technology
Proficient in cyber security
Proficient with Trademark, Copyright & Royalty negotiations
Excellent with high level team leadership, such as Research and development, global multicultural Exec boards
Excellent at networking, collaboration and ongoing relationship building

Giving Back

Sisonke [coming together], a social responsibility initiative by Gail Macleod in S.A. to partner with SMMEs [mom and pop businesses] through pro bono expert consulting and packaging design.

Notable Projects

Rebranding SA’s Nestle Corporate Identity

We built a regional group strategy nested under the Nestle global brand identity that is a regionally relevant big idea for the Master brand.

The solution included a big brand regional identity and full CI application: “From our nest to yours”.

Nando’s global launch into retail in 12 geographies

Gail generated brand strategy in packaging, design and IP, and the global iconic cost optimised and sustainable bottle which resulted in unprecedented growth in most categories of a least 28% ROI.

A great example of working with brand and collaborative manufacture.

Testimonials

“Gail Macleod and her Team are titans in the world of Strategic Brand Positioning and Communication. From Brand Migration Proposals to an exceptional relaunch project undertaken for Nestle – a Global company launching a new Local HO – and seeking a way to incorporate and represent nine diverse Divisional Business Unit identities within the constraints of many masters. Gail reverted with an exceptional piece of work that brought together the essence of Ubuntu with the legacy of a 150yr old company in a sensitive and distinctive Brand Design masterpiece. I cannot recommend Gail or Stratcom more highly – the Strategic approach, the professionalism – the response and execution were outstanding.”

“I have worked with Gail and her Stratcom team for many years on branding and packaging projects. I have been very impressed with her wealth of experience and her ability to consider and balance the strategic issues, creative concepts and practical considerations. Gail is a creative thinker who is unafraid to push the often-imposed boundaries to get the client to think about approaching their target audience in a new way.”

“There are strategists and creatives and then there are uniquely strategic creative visionaries like Gail MacLeod. Having worked on several projects with Gail at both Nando's and L’ORÉAL – I have found her to be exceptional at interpreting consumer insights into market-related strategies that are globally relevant and effective.
She approaches complex projects with relevant insight and delivers simple and effective creative solutions that are consistent of a superior standard! The Strategies, Packaging Concepts, Corporate Identities and Brand Architectures that she curates are world-class, professionally managed and award-winning. She invests the time and energy in developing positive professional relationships with her clients and consistently meets even the most challenging deadlines on time and on brief with outstanding results. I would have absolutely no hesitation to recommend Gail for strategic projects based on her advanced experience and skills in Strategy, Corporate and Brand Identity and Graphic Design.”