David Robertson Mitchell, of The Brand Rover, has had a busy September!

September is almost over! We’ve been speaking to business owners about what the month has been like for them and their business.

Up today is David Robertson Mitchell of The Brand Rover, who is a brand consultant, based in Minety. David works with individuals, businesses, CEOs and sports teams on their branding and reputations.

How was your summer as we go into autumn? Any highlights for you or your business?
August was quiet because one of my main clients, an F1 team, was on the F1 summer shutdown. But I find that it’s always good to use this time to take stock and plan for the rest of the year.

What happened for your business in September?
As a brand consultant, building my own personal brand is important. This September I’ve started using The Brand Rover as part of my business identity. This was the nickname I was given during the nine years I was the brand consultant to the Mercedes F1 team. It seems to have gone down well so far; go and check out my new website if you get a chance.

It’s ‘back to school’ month or ‘start of university’ month – is this relevant to you personally or professionally?
I’m a Governor at Malmesbury School and have been involved with Governance there since 2009. At the moment I’m the link Governor to the History faculty and the Careers department, both subjects I’m passionate about. I’d recommend being a school governor as a voluntary role; I’m constantly inspired by the dedication and hard work of the teaching profession and proud to be part of the team that helped the school achieve an Outstanding rating at the OFSTED inspection earlier this year.

September is also known as ‘organic’ month – when it comes to your business/personal life what do you do to be ‘more green’? If it’s in business, do you work with other brands to be more sustainable?
My business is based from my home, and we’ve done much to ensure it is sustainably run. My wife and I bought the house at the end of 2022 and spent the next 4 months updating what was a rather tired 30-year-old house. We took out the oil boiler and installed an air source heat pump with underfloor heating across the ground floor. We also had solar panels, and a battery fitted. This took the EPC rating from an E to an A and our net annual electric cost to heating, hot water and running the house is well under £1000 for a year. I also drive an electric car which has substantially reduced travel costs for the business.

World Gratitude Day took place this month (Sept 21). What are you grateful for in your business/at home?
I’m grateful just to be here! I’m fascinated by history, and with one grandfather who flew bombers in the first world war, another who was a doctor at the Battle of the Somme and a father who went ashore on D-Day, I often reflect it’s a miracle I’m actually here, something I am very grateful for.

What are your hopes for business for the rest of this year? Are you launching a new product, service, running an event or something else later in the year?
For the rest of this year, I’ll be looking to build a client-base for The Brand Rover locally. So, if you are feeling your brand is ‘out of focus’, you or your business is going through some sort of change or transition, or you are facing a reputational crisis, then give me a call.

Have you got any services or special offers you’d like to mention?
I’ll be doing talks on The North Wessex Way locally. They started in September and will be running through to October. You can find out more at www.northwessexway.co.uk

In my spare time, I’m a historian and have been researching The North Wessex Way, the ancient road that runs between Oxford and Bristol. It passes just north of Swindon through Highworth, Blunsdon, Tadpole Garden Village and Purton. It was a significant route for over two thousand years and fell into disuse and got forgotten due to two dodgy MPs from Cricklade.

You can find out more about David at www.thebrandrover.co.uk