#StartupStory: Media agency Nybble launches during lockdown

Gustav Goosen, Deirdre Ingpen and Farah Thompson

Not only has the pandemic and national lockdown fast-tracked digitisation, but the founders are accustomed to disruption, having worked with and managed some of the biggest publishing brands on the continent through periods of unprecedented industry change.

“Covid-19 has expedited migration to digital solutions and digitisation. We know a lot of brands are wondering how they can navigate an increasingly digital-driven environment, now more than ever, and we believe that we have the expertise and value proposition to provide solutions to big and small businesses alike,” said founding partner Deirdre Ingpen.

Nybble’s founding partners, Ingpen, Farah Thompson and Gustav Goosen have a long history of working together with over five decades of combined experience in digital media. “We've worked together in different roles, across different mediums, for many years and developed a great sense of mutual respect for not only the work we've done and our individual career achievements, but also the unique characteristics, traits and areas of expertise each of us offers. When we first started discussing putting Nybble together, the excitement of being able to harness all of that was electrifying. The prospects of being able to share it with our clients and help them do what they do better, lit the room and we instantly knew we were onto something special,” said Goosen.

Here, he tells us more about their new venture and why they decided to launch it during the lockdown and amid a global crisis…

Why did you decide to launch a new business venture?

We've worked together in different roles, across different mediums, for many years and developed a great sense of mutual respect for not only the work we've done and our individual career achievements but also the unique characteristics, traits and areas of expertise each of us offer.

When we first started discussing putting Nybble together, the excitement of being able to harness all of that was electrifying. The prospects of being able to share it with our clients and help them do what they do better lit the room and we instantly knew we were onto something special.

And why now, during the lockdown and amid a global crisis?

We knew we had the right recipe with Nybble from the outset before the pandemic hit. Of course, the onslaught of Covid-19 caught us off-guard like everyone else and we've had to very quickly assess our own business strategies and tactics and where needed, adapt them. That in itself reflects the character of our team, face the challenge head-on and find a solution.

We're confident the rich mix of experience, skill sets, realism and pragmatism will see us through this pandemic and be of immense value for our clients to tap into.

How did you come up with the name?

Common bit-lengths of binary numbers include bits, nybbles (nibbles) and bytes. So, having worked in technology for years, the name Nybble just resonated, and of course, there’s a bit of quirkiness to it too. Who doesn't want to take a ‘byte’ of the cookie?

Describe the idea/model.

With Nybble we’re affording clients our more than five decades of media executive experience. We’ve been through the wars of digital transformation and want to apply the learnings for our clients.

Nybble’s business model also affords us nimbleness. We’re not entrenched or dependent on costly infrastructure, processes or overhead, which benefits our clients and affords us the agility we’re seeking and believe clients will be too.

What barriers have you had to overcome to get to launch phase?

We’ve had to contend with the pandemic enforced lockdown. We have had to thrash out Nybble's business model, services offering, operations, infrastructure and tech-stack remotely. Company registration, bank accounts, web development all executed whilst under lockdown. No physical interaction. Not in the same premises. It can be done. We just did it and we'll continue to do it.

What’s next? Your vision for the platform?

On the one hand to be an enabler to businesses small and large, assisting them to achieve their growth objectives even if it means taking them out of their comfort zones, and to become a business people want to work for and work with, for it to realise its full potential and remain true to its core values: trust, transparency, honesty, simplicity and integrity.

More about the founders

Farah Thompson cut her digital teeth at Acceleration, where after she was approached to set-up campaign management for Media24’s Digital Division. Prior to establishing Nybble, she was head of Operations at The SpaceStation, overseeing all campaign management, design and adtech teams for Naspers’ lead digital media sales house in SSA. Responsible for delivering 1,000's of hand-sold campaigns for clients each month, she led the team implementing technologies to deliver viewable and social formats winning her industry accolades at the IAB SA Bookmark Awards.

Gustav Goosen, ex-CEO of The SpaceStation, has 20+ years of applied business development experience, supporting brands across the Naspers group to achieve digital advertising and revenue targets. In his last role at the Naspers group, he headed 24.com’s conversion science team focused on first-party audience data ecosystem. He has served on various industry bodyboards and executive teams, most notably serving on the IAB SA board and its exco from 2012-2018.

Deirdre Ingpen, ex-24.com commercial head is used to moving goalposts, having managed the news and lifestyle portfolio required launching innovative commercial products that kept advertising audiences engaged. She also launched Brand Studio (a native content division) while also implementing marketing strategies that build audience engagement and loyalty across web, mobile and app platforms for News24 and its partner sites. She also served on the IAB SA publishers council from 2011-2018.

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