Remarkably is celebrating three years in business this year, but Rich and Mario’s story as a couple began nearly 15 years previously on the dance floor of XXL. To set the scene, XXL was a pulsing gay nightclub nestled under the arches of London Bridge. The DJs saved lives on those nights, spinning into the early hours, while peanuts lingered uneaten on the bars and lovers retreated to shadowy corners.
“My attention was pulled from working the podium by Rich’s smile initially” says Mario, as warm vodka and cokes were shared from tiny plastic cups and “I'm the only girl in the world…” drifted in from the next room. Little did they know that this night was the jump-off point for a whirlwind journey that would take them from working the globe to becoming global brand-builders.
Rich came from the north, hoping to escape his traditional upbringing: “We were both drawn to London in search of opportunity and the freedom to express who we really were.” He was already married and a father but living a closeted life up to this point, carrying the weight of not being true to himself and those around him. Mario left his religious Jehovah’s Witness community in small town Austria, aged 22. Barely speaking English, but knowing he would never be truly accepted in his hometown, he says: “Both of us were ready for change and to find our community.”
Both built successful careers in their own rights; Mario specialising in e-commerce and fashion marketing, working for lastminute.com, NET-A-PORTER, and setting up MR PORTER just before they met. Rich was a founder, entrepreneur, creative director, and storyteller, founding Citigate Broadcast, The London Wall Studios, and co-founding the international business communications agency, Instinctif.
As their personal relationship deepened, so did their professional one. Rich was building Instinctif’s US arm in Silicon Valley, and together they brought mega events to life in NYC for MR PORTER, including pop-ups and runway shows. A seed was planted based on the success of combining their brand and marketing minds. Between them, they worked on branding, strategy, marketing and creative projects with some of the biggest brands in the world, from NET-A-PORTER and Farfetch to eBay and Starwood Hotels.
“Things just flowed when we worked together - it was the combination of deep, strategic thinking, killer creative ideas and the skills to implement them (oh, and a bit of rosé), but over time, we started to feel as if something was missing,” says Rich.
Rich and Mario knew there was an opportunity to guide brands to show up and do better. An opportunity where they could work more holistically with clients on becoming purpose- instead of profit-driven, across brand, marketing strategy and execution. An approach where people and the planet were prioritised over process and profit, without these things being mutually exclusive.
With this in mind, Rich founded his own agency and set the bar pretty high by calling it Remarkably. When Covid hit and many businesses retracted, Remarkably flourished as it was designed to work flexibly across time zones and already using meeting tech, which is commonplace now, like Zoom.
The name has never been just about remarkable work or results, though. Remarkably is driven by helping brands become their remarkably best selves by being more human, more open, inclusive and sustainable.
As CMO for eyewear brand VIU, Mario travelled to and from Zurich and Munich weekly, and when Covid halted travel, it made sense for him to make the leap to Remarkably. Imbued with clarity around what he stood for and seeking a stronger sense of purpose, he started building out his own marketing ecosystem within the business.
“The agency world is riddled with mediocrity, trust us, we’ve seen it,” says Rich, who wanted Remarkably to be an antidote to the behaviours he’d seen at his previous agency. It was a place that killed the elements that Rich prioritised above all others - caring about the craft, creativity, and nurturing relationships. He saw great work being flattened too many times by highly paid, complacent execs, too far removed from what clients really want.
“We strive to find the remarkable in everything - whether that's your brand, your people, or even ourselves. We get stuck in, ask uncomfortable questions and give clients what they deserve: a collaborative sparring partner. We promise energy and enthusiasm, ideas and inspiration, advice and execution. All the stuff that moves the needle and sets our clients up for commercial success,” says Rich.
It's easy to claim you're 'different' in your company manifesto. Living those values is something else entirely, so Remarkably is walking the walk. It’s been climate positive from day one and received B-Corp certification in December 2021. It was set up to be carbon positive and partners with Ecologi, The Future Forest Company and The Eden Reforestation Project with a pledge to plant a million trees.
Rich continues, “Our difference is our strength. We're LGBTQIA+ owned and proud to shout that you can be successful while being true to who you are.” Remarkably works on cultivating uniqueness because it believes those with differing perspectives add richness to every project, and it’s what its clients love it for. The Remarkably team are hyper-flexible with different specialisms and diverse backgrounds, coming together when it counts.
By this point, you might be wondering what it's like to be partners in life and business. “Work can sometimes become life, and life can sometimes become work”, admits Mario, but it works for them. The “a-ha” moments don't always turn up 9-5. Deep conversations can happen in the car, while walking the dog, and even sitting on the sofa on a Sunday afternoon. “We push each other hard, which creates some fantastic ideas. Do we have disagreements? All. The. Time. But our different personalities balance us out - we’d kill each other if we were both the same,” he says.
Navigating Remarkably (and their relationship (!)) through a global pandemic was a challenge, but it only made the company’s mission for more purpose in business feel even more critical. It now feels like the world was waiting for the Remarkably team to come along. After all, their calling cards are courage, decisiveness and authenticity. Brands don't just want to be bigger, they want to be better, and that's where Remarkably comes in. It’s helping companies reimagine their role in society, and that's an exciting place to be right now.
Want to make something Remarkable? Talk to us tellmemore@remarkably.co
