David Butler

Pioneer
DISC Type : DIS

Co-Founder, SoWhat at SoWhat Brand Design

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Overview

David Butler is the Co-founder and a partner at SoWhat, a brand design agency. A best-selling author and former VP of Global Design at Coca-Cola, he specializes in using systems thinking to merge design and strategy. Colleagues and peers often describe him as a visionary, intelligent, and generous leader. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida.

Davids interests extend into music, particularly jazz. His passion for the art form is evident in the naming of his brand strategy agency, SoWhat, which is a direct tribute to the iconic track by legendary jazz artist Miles Davis. This connection highlights his creative and strategic inspirations.

His company, SoWhat, is named after the famous jazz track "So What" by Miles Davis, reflecting a deep appreciation for the genre.

Personality Overview

Dynamic But Sincere

Decisive But Friendly

Driven But Considerate

They have the unique ability to win both love and respect from their team (or outsiders)  They combine a unique set of diverse traits where they are fast and friendly but can slow down to be thorough when needed If they are convinced, they can become very strong champions for your product

Topics They Care About

Future of Design
He recently organized and led conversations at a conference focused on what's happening to design and design leadership inside major global companies.
Scaling Design
He co-authored the best-selling book "Design to Grow, " which details how large companies like Coca-Cola can combine scale with agility through design principles.
Brand Identity Systems
His current agency, SoWhat, focuses on creating iconic brand identity systems for both early-stage startups and established global brands like Duracell.

Media Appearances

David has no verified media appearances

Work History

8-2022
Co-Founder, SoWhat at SoWhat Brand Design
7-2022
Strategic Advisor at Miami Ad School (M.AD School)
9-2022 - 12-2024
Leader-in-Residence at Emory University - Goizueta Business School
8-2019 - 5-2022
Board Advisor at Good Buy Gear
8-2019 - 5-2022
Board Advisor at Kinedu

Education

1986 - 1988
Bachelor of Arts from University of South Florida
1984 - 1986
Bachelor of Arts (BA) from St. Petersburg College

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 5 Location : Atlanta, Georgia, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Co-Founder, SoWhat at SoWhat Brand Design
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Insights For Selling To David

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Mostly stick to your standard pitch and qualifying script, but add some stories or anecdotes to it
  • During followups, use calls or text if needed, they should be fine
  • Ask them for a lunch or coffee once some rapport has been established

DONT's

  • Don't lean very heavily into providing too much information, sharing whitepapers etc.
  • Don’t hesitate from asking questions or pushing them, but take a formal approach
  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with David is

  • Nothing less than a strong combination of proof of results, relationship and high levels of professionalism is effective with them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from David

  • They can say no while staying friendly, but can also be pursuaded to reconsider

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will David move?

  • They are generally fast movers and can take quick decisions
  • Can David take some risk or not?

  • They have high risk-appetite but can get ahead of themselves once in a while. Observe carefully

You And David

Personality Compatibility


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