Getting To Know You: Tony Lewis

As marketing icon Tony Lewis reveals, momentum is the key metric for defining and shaping every brand’s success.

What do you currently do?

I am the CEO of Vision One, a groundbreaking insight discovery agency that I started from my spare room 25 years ago this December. We specialise in providing invaluable market research and consumer insights. I have always had an interest in learning about the world; it started at school with an interest in the sciences but evolved into an interest in consumerism, psychology and brands. I am a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM) and a member of the UK Market Research Society (MMRS).

I am author of Brand Momentum — a book launching in October 2024 about brands, marketing and using the laws of physics to build sustainable growth.

What was the inspiration behind your business?

The decision to start my own business was driven by several factors. Firstly, I had a long-term aspiration to establish my own venture. While I had a fulfilling experience working for excellent companies, I felt the need to accomplish something independently, rather than being just another cog in a bigger wheel.

It was a new challenge that would test my skills to the limit — just what I needed at the time and something I would relish for the rest of my working life.

Who do you admire?

There is something to admire in everyone. From a business perspective, I think anyone who makes it to the top of their game in whatever profession or calling — I’m in awe of them all. My father instilled an entrepreneurial spirit, and my mother an inquisitive spirit. I think these were my guiding principles. My prominent heroes are probably cliched, but they include Richard Branson, Steve Jobs and Stephen Bartlett.

But I also admire the scientists of today and the past who discovered new things or created new theories about the people right through to the universe. Having written a book on momentum, it would be remiss of me not to mention Sir Isaac Newton, who provided a clear understanding of optics and the universal law of gravity and motion. Einstein is another, but in truth I still struggle with some of the ideas of relativity which states that mass and energy are the same thing, just in different forms.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

Plenty, I think I make mistakes every day — the older I’ve become the easier it is to spot my mistakes… but it doesn’t mean I still don’t make them. The main lessons I would pass on to others are:

Focus on finances

Being a marketer at heart, I’m probably better at spending money than saving or paying attention on where it goes. Ideally, I would have developed a better understanding and appreciation of the financial aspects and managing costs. If not, having someone you can trust to manage this is the next best thing.

Learning more about running a business at a younger age

I was a late starter when it came to learning the skills of running a business. I think I would have made far fewer mistakes and had more success if I had bothered to invest more in building my business skills. The world has changed in recent years and the internet provides a wealth of knowledge that wasn’t that easy to come by. Take YouTube for example – there’s probably a video to do almost anything!

What defines your way of doing business?

Highly collaborative. The best way to learn is to share thoughts and ideas and to have a common purpose. Where possible, we also love being collaborative with our clients too.

We are focused on delivering great research, and our aim is to exceed our clients’ expectations. This isn’t always as straightforward as it might seem — as everyone has different expectations — so managing expectations upfront is a vital part of creating successful partnerships with brands.

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

Build a small, trustworthy network of peers, media, data sources and experts you can openly talk to and discuss all aspects of your business candidly. Be warned, when you start on your entrepreneurial journey, you’ll soon discover everyone claims to have a solution to your problem, so you need to find the right experts. Coincidentally, some years back, I saw a study that suggested that experts aren’t necessarily any better at giving the right advice than the public. Not all experts live up to their title. Look for science and evidence-based research rather than opinion. There are bodies that focus on these evidence-based insights and knowledge. In my opinion, these are the ones to pay more attention to.

Tony Lewis is the founder and Managing Director of strategic market research consultancy Vision One. His new book Brand Momentum is the go-to guide for every business leader, entrepreneur, and marketer seeking sustained growth. For more information, visit www.visionone.co.uk or www.tonylewis.me.