Natacha Cunningham

I run Thought Rebel. Businesses bring me in when their marketing isn’t delivering, and they need a clear read on why and what to do next. The work is straightforward: find what is actually getting in the way, fix what matters and leave you with a plan your team can run. Spoiler alert: sometimes it isn’t marketing that’s the problem.

My background started with a degree in journalism and media studies, then several years in advertising. It taught me how brands earn attention and trust, but I was always more interested in the decisions behind the work than the campaigns themselves.

Early in my consulting career, a new client engaged my services after a buyout offer hinged on them hitting an ambitious ‘connected homes’ target within three months. I pulled in a specialist social media agency and rebuilt the direct-to-consumer campaign from the ground up. On paper, it was a huge success: website traffic up 223 per cent, social engagement up 291 per cent, leads pouring in. But I quickly discovered that support and sales did not have the resources to follow up. Leads were left on the table, customer confidence took a hit, and the target was nearly missed. Since then, I have never looked at marketing in isolation from the business and customer behind it.

From there I worked across sectors, spent time as a CMO at a tech start-up and, being entrepreneurial, started a couple of businesses of my own. I know both the thinking and the day-to-day reality that business owners and marketing teams face.

I am a passionate advocate for AI. I use it daily, build tools with it, and believe it significantly enhances what a small team can achieve. As a writer, I’m quite critical of AI-generated text, and I know we can all do better. While the tools are available to handle the more challenging tasks, the determination of whether the words are effective remains a fundamentally human responsibility.

Thought Rebel is not an agency. Most engagements start with a discovery, a focused look at what is working, what is misaligned, and what to deal with first. From there, you can take the findings and run with them, or bring me in for defined projects, workshops, fixed-term support, or as your fractional CMO when you need someone to own marketing with you, part-time and ongoing, with clear deliverables and pricing agreed up front.

I work alongside in-house teams, giving you a clear plan you can act on with confidence, and I remain available if you want to check in from time to time.

If that sounds useful, start with the free marketing scorecard for a quick first read, or get in touch for a conversation. If you would rather keep it light, connect on LinkedIn or sign up for the occasional email, sent only when it is worth your time. Our inboxes are full enough already.

Natacha Cunningham

(Most people call me Peggy - long story!)