Sonar Spotlight: Andrew Davis
Hi there! This week’s Sonar Spotlight features Andrew Davis, the chief strategy officer of Tippingpoint Labs, a Boston marketing agency that he founded 11 years ago. A big part of Andrew’s job is traveling around the world and speaking with all sorts of clients and industries to help them develop their digital marketing strategies. We’re glad to hear Andrew keeps Subby with him during his travels!
Nice to meet you, Andrew! So tell me a little bit more about your background. What did you do before Tippingpoint Labs?
I worked at the Jim Henson company, where I was in charge of the workshop where the puppets were made. Most of the people at the workshop were artists; I was on the logistics and production side. My job was to make sure the puppets were in the right place at the right time, whether it was for the shooting of a scene or the taping of a TV interview. Prior to working at the Jim Henson company, I worked on production for TV and film companies in the entertainment industry.
Awesome! Now, how did you happen upon Sonar?
I don’t remember how I happened upon it; I started using it pretty early on. Part of my job is to look for new technology that will help me connect to other people and help my clients connect to other people.
Could you tell me a bit more about how you use Sonar?
Because I travel a lot, I spend a lot of time in airports and hotels, so I’ll check in with Sonar and see who I’m connected to at the airport or hotel or a restaurant nearby. Oftentimes, I end up meeting these connections in real life and we’ll get a drink at a bar. I’ve introduced clients - especially those who travel a lot - to Sonar. I tell people that the first app they should open when they are about to board a plane is Sonar. I also tell clients to look for people they can connect with at trade shows and conferences.
I think online interaction is a really powerful way to connect with people. Sometimes, online interaction has the power to spark an offline interaction, and that’s what’s really great about Sonar.
Do you have any stories about the connections you’ve made while traveling?
Last year, I was able to connect with C.C. Chapman in the airport before a flight from Boston to Cleveland for Content Marketing World, where we were both presenting. He was a second degree connection and it was so nice to locate him via Sonar. I reached out and realized that we were both at the same gate. We were able to talk both before our plane departed and upon arrival. We chatted about what we were both working on and about his book, Content Rules. It was really fun!
Sounds like a good time. I’m curious, do you have a favorite puppet?
Yes! Grover, from Sesame Street.
If Grover had Sonar, what would his status be?
If Grover had Sonar, he would have just checked into Grover’s Restaurant and his status update would be: “Ha-ha, yes, it is Grover! Try the soup. Very wise choice, sir!”
Nice. Thanks for your time, Andrew. Anything else you’d like to let us know?
No problem! I actually have a book coming out soon called Brandscaping. It doesn’t include any stories about Sonar yet, but maybe I’ll put a Sonar story in it.
