I’m Martin Potter, a British-born writer, creative director and brand experience expert based in Switzerland, with two decades of international experience across brand, storytelling and experiential marketing.
I’ve stayed open to opportunity throughout my career, working across Europe and the US and leading creative teams in agencies, consultancies and in-house roles. My work has ranged from campaign strategy and executive communications to global brand activations and internal culture change, including leadership roles at Novartis, Bain & Company and Jack Morton (IPG).
alotté is my own space to stay sharp and curious. Here I explore the evolving craft of creative direction, the power of brand experience, and how GenAI tools are reshaping how we work, not as gimmicks, but as serious creative collaborators.
This site complements my professional work, offering a broader perspective on how strategic ideas take shape and stories connect, whether that’s through a campaign, a keynote, a trade show or a single moment of design that makes someone feel something.
Novartis
Corporate Affairs Leadership Roles / Basel, Switzerland / 2019-Present
Leadership across brand creative, corporate communications and global brand experiences during a period of major organisational change, including the establishment of an in-house creative studio, C-suite communications, a global Code of Ethics relaunch and the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 sponsorship.
Bain & Company
Creative Director, Global Recruiting Brand / Boston, USA / 2012-2019
Global omnichannel creative leadership across recruiting communications and candidate engagement. Led the redesign of Bain’s global careers platform, refreshed the event experience, and introduced more human, innovative approaches to content creation and channel optimisation.
Jack Morton Worldwide (IPG)
Director of Brand Partnerships / NYC & Boston, USA / 2005-2011
Client leadership across large-scale brand partnerships and experiential marketing, spanning new business pitches, client strategy and delivery of integrated live experiences for global brands including BlackBerry, NFL, ESPN and Nickelodeon.
Photosound Communications
Senior Account Director / Cambridge, UK / 2001-2005
Promoted and relocated from the UK to the US to lead global healthcare trade show and integrated marketing programmes, combining account leadership with hands-on production, US market expansion and new business development. Oversaw the creative and logistical delivery of major experiences for clients including GSK, Merck (MSD), BMS and Serono.
Early career
Earlier in my career, after university, I worked at Unipart, building a foundation in communications and global event marketing that shaped my later leadership roles. I also spent a brief period at myGlu.org, which broadened my perspective on digital health and purpose-led work.
Before that, during school and university, I picked up experience in the UK and Europe wherever it was available. That included time at Wimpy, C&A, Safeway, GB Liners, a door-handle factory, the John Radcliffe Hospital, British Army Germany, and a guesthouse in Finland.
They’re not roles that belong on a CV, but they were real work, with real people, and they quietly shaped how I think about organisations, environments and the dignity of getting things done.
From the journal
GenAI will shift in-house comms & creative to a creative communications studio built around judgement and coherence.
Read MoreA moment at the piano sparked the line that would become central to a Eurovision sponsorship.
Read MoreGenAI is changing how much one person can do at work, here is my proof.
Read MoreGreat communication isn’t about adding more. It’s about clarity, focus and distilling ideas to what truly matters.
Read MoreAn essay On Running through ten marathons, from my first in New York to an accidental Boston qualification.
Read MoreHow GenAI can shape and speed up creative work without losing your voice.
Read MoreRed dungarees, French fries, the Mr Wimpy costume and the early lessons in graft and resilience.
Read MoreThe first major crossroads of my career, choosing between a job in the UK or a new life in Paris.
Read MoreMoving to Basel with a young family in 2019 and finding belonging, balance and community in Switzerland.
Read MoreGenAI is reshaping creative work, but true creativity still relies on human taste, judgement and instinct.
Read MoreFrom Loopy to The Logical Song, this is what it looks like when music becomes part of family life.
Read MoreMost people still treat AI as a prompt machine instead of a studio assistant.
Read MoreA look back at my Wellington School years and the lessons that shaped me long before I understood them.
Read MoreA Jack Morton leader once told me it’s up to each of us to manage our own careers and stay open to new opportunities.
Read More