About
It started with a car nobody needed.
Nobody ever woke up thinking, “I have to drive a Saturn.” But we had such a strong following.
[Placeholder: headshot of Scott]Hi, I’m Scott McLaren. Most people call me ScottyMac.
So why did people love it?
I spent years at Saturn, including a stint as National Advertising Manager. Here’s what I saw up close: it wasn’t the sheet metal. The brand made a promise, and the whole company kept it. From the factory to the showroom, everybody was in on it.
So customers didn’t just buy cars. They told their friends. They became advocates. No coupon on earth does that.
What that taught me
Good branding leads to honest, good marketing practices and the fulfillment of the brand promise. Get the brand right and the marketing gets a lot more honest, because you’re just telling people what’s true.
Marketing is a blend of art and science. The data tells you who your ideal customer is and why they matter. The art is how you make them feel. When done correctly, it hits an emotional connection that creates advocacy instead of customers.
Could you skip the brand and go straight to ads? Sure. But hey, that’s like building the second floor first. It doesn’t end well.
Why Brandwork & Growth?
The & is the whole point. It’s the part where you and I sit at the same table. I’m not here to hand you a binder and wave goodbye. I’m a thinking partner and a sounding board, someone who asks the hard questions and helps you find answers you’ll actually believe in.
Whether you run the place, own a piece of it, or make the calls, we work it out together. We speak with people, not at people. That goes for how we talk to each other, and for how your brand talks to everyone else.
The goal is simple: Your brand, honestly told.
[Placeholder: in your own words, why you started Brandwork & Growth]
The road so far
- 1988 – 2007
General Motors, Saturn & Chevrolet
Roles across customer assistance, field operations, distribution, retail network development and regional marketing, including Saturn National Advertising Manager.
- 2007 – 2010
General Motors, Director of Global CRM & Digital Marketing
Led global CRM and digital marketing with a team of more than 30 people across six countries.
- 2011 – 2015
ProtectCell, President & Chief Marketing Officer
Rebranded the company, built the culture and hiring around the brand, and grew it from roughly $9M to $125M in four years, landing at #459 on the Inc. 500.
- 2015 – present
Fortegra, EVP, Agent Experience & Development
Current role.
A little about me
[Placeholder: life in St. Augustine, life outside work, anything you’d like to share]