The Orangeblowfish CEO Natalie Lowe on boldness in branding

The global creative agency's co-founder explains how she drives business growth by helping clients navigate cultural gaps and develop localised brand strategies

As retail moves deeper into digital channels, meaningful branding has grown in importance, according to Natalie Lowe, CEO and co-founder of creative agency The Orangeblowfish. With a unique perspective on brand strategy, she helps brands bridge cultural and generational gaps through environmental graphic design, art and immersive storytelling campaigns. This is vital as consumers increasingly expect creativity in how brands connect through physical spaces. 

The Shanghai-headquartered company has teams across Asia-Pacific, the UK, and North America and works with a range of Fortune 500 and local companies. Co-founded by Ms Lowe and her husband, Siu Tang, in 2012, it brings brands alive in China and Asia-Pacific to drive business value through branding. Mr Tang is the creative lead, while Ms Lowe, a UNSW Business School alumna, is the strategist behind the company’s success. 

This dynamic has allowed the couple to draw from their different skill-sets. However, it has also presented challenges in building a successful business relationship in real-time in a rapidly changing market landscape. 

“Markets in China are constantly evolving, and they are becoming increasingly successful and influential on a global stage. Because of this, Chinese brands are gaining more traction, and international brands want to invest more heavily in China,” Ms Lowe said. “That’s why having a creative lead on brand journeys is so important at a localised level.” 

She revealed how consumers today have more sophisticated expectations about how brands connect and translate their experiences online. This increased digitisation is complemented by offline branding, such as interactive installations in so-called third places like malls. “It’s not about being ahead of the curve. It’s about being in the heart of all these different strands as they weave together the fabric of new market forces,” Ms Lowe said. 

Building The Orangeblowfish in a changing marketplace is one of the major challenges Ms Lowe has faced in a career that’s seen the Australian native move to Singapore straight after university and then to China without understanding the language. Her experience has taught her that self-belief and boldness are her essential and motivating career drivers. 

“I really believe in the power of saying ‘yes’,” she said. “I would prefer to have tried something even if it turned out different than I expected, than regret not doing it and being left with a lingering ‘what if?’ thought.” 

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This mindset is also behind The Orangeblowfish name, which Ms Lowe explained nods to an episode of The Simpsons. The animated protagonist, Homer, mistakenly believes he’ll die within a day after eating a poisonous fugu fish. This prompts him to seize the day and pursue a bucket list. According to Ms Lowe, this story connects to the company ethos to “live every day to the fullest, as though it’s going to be our last day on Earth, but also to live boldly and push creative boundaries in whatever we do”. 

Bold moves and self-belief 

Ms Lowe always wanted to be an entrepreneur but initially didn’t know what that would look like. “What I did know was that I wanted to explore new horizons in Asia, and to confidently do so, I needed to prove my smarts.”  Pursuing a Business degree at UNSW Business School seemed an obvious next step before tapping into her Chinese heritage and opportunities across the world.

A week after her final exam, Ms Lowe was on a plane to Singapore. She recalled that this didn’t seem like a risk at the time, even though she had no real plan. “I feel there are moments in life when you’ve got to take a leap and go for it. This was one of those times, and I felt instinctively that it would turn out to be a pivotal point. Of course, I had no idea how monumental that decision would turn out to be on so many levels.”

Photo gallery: The Orangeblowfish CEO Natalie Lowe speaks at a recent UNSW panel event

Her career since has been a “wild journey” from Singapore to Hong Kong and then Shanghai, with assignments in Europe and North America along the way. “I’ve also had the opportunity to learn from some of the smartest people in the industry,” she explained. “I was often the youngest female in the boardroom and started to question how things were being done in traditional corporate worlds.”  

The importance of self-belief and boldness are also central to Ms Lowe’s advice for aspiring leaders: “With technology advancing and roles within industries shifting, it’s vital to be open about what career terrains look like and how you might navigate them. Brands can lose footing if they’re not authentic with messaging, and that applies to people, too. Business leaders are often looking for proactive individuals who can respond in a real way and are willing to learn.” 

Connecting through language and culture 

Ms Lowe’s experience embracing new cultures has also been crucial in her approach to building creative bridges for brands, highlighting the centrality of language, trust and vulnerability. Moving to Shanghai without knowing Mandarin made this abundantly clear. 

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“I didn’t realise how hard it would be to not only not know the culture but not understand the language. And then try to understand what was being said in technical jargon.” I was dealing with powerful CEOs, and it was “crucial that I got onto that language bandwagon”. 

“Part of it is built on trust. It’s how you make yourself vulnerable; it’s how you’re willing to let go of your ego because learning a new language and fumbling is hard. It’s letting go of that and getting to a level where you can connect with someone else.” 

She believes that if she hadn’t been willing to embrace learning the local language and culture, it would have closed off many of her opportunities. “I really believe that language and culture are more important than ever today, with globalisation and digitisation. 

“We can create content that connects worlds thousands of miles apart, connecting generations and building businesses across continents. Innovation and tech have helped promote Chinese brands in the minds of local consumers, and this has an impact on international brands seeking a footing in China. Even legacy brands with a long history need to localise. A 100-year-old Australian brand that wants traction in China, for example, still needs to bridge a cultural gap and resonate with Chinese consumers. Language and being able to connect with EQ and, of course, creative agency skills in China are more vital than ever.”

Anchored objectivity that shapes creativity 

These realisations about culture, language and communication helped propel Ms Lowe and Mr Tang to create The Orangeblowfish. Her experience in marketing and business helped her spot opportunities in “how brands could be using spaces more creatively”. 

“When I first moved to Asia, I felt there were communication and cultural gaps between what was often international headquarters and local sites on the ground,” Ms Lowe said. “I moved every few years with a focus on bridging this gap, and it made me think about what I could do beyond my paycheque. It took me over 10 years to take the plunge and set up The Orangeblowfish. I figured that if I was being moved from country to country to help close this gap, then there must be other companies facing the same issues.” 

Mr Tang was a corporate head-hunter at the time and looking to lean into his creativity. “While we had a passion and direction, we didn’t overthink it; we just did it. Once we’d taken that bold step, we never looked back.” 

Ms Lowe emphasised that creativity is also based on a foundation of clear strategies. “At The Orangeblowfish, we’ve developed a strategic methodology that guides creative campaigns for brands. In other words, it adds an anchored objectivity that shapes creativity. It’s called LUCID and stands for ‘Learn, Understand, Conceptualise, Imaginate and Deliver.’” 

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The Orangeblowfish has moved increasingly towards retail and hospitality brands seeking a strong presence in China and Asia through creative campaigns. “This idea of strategic creativity is carried through to future planning and the working environment,” according to Ms Lowe. 

“It’s essential, certainly in what The Orangeblowfish does, to see the landscape ahead and invest in industries and regions that are growing. A big part of realising a vision is the support of and collaboration with smart individuals. I have an incredible team, and I think it’s the open, transparent and can-do attitude that attracts a positive culture.” 

Facing challenges with flexibility 

Pivoting in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was one of Natalie’s standout achievements. “We are a sizeable team with talent in China, and other locations. Prior to the pandemic, it seemed feasible to think that creativity and collaboration could only work with everyone in the same room,” she said. “Obviously, that changed with COVID, when we were working separately for many months. 

“I had to adapt as a leader and change my ideas on workplace dynamics. I realised that people are responsible, and ultimately, they want to work. They can add value by working remotely. What I find interesting is creating a core on-site team and working out proactive ways to connect with colleagues based remotely, including individuals outside of China.” 

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Working through the pandemic, which was a busy time for The Orangeblowfish, involved keeping the whole team up to speed and on the same page with what was happening in the fast-moving local market. “Now that a lot of the team is back in the office, I’m constantly encouraging them not to be too chained to their desks. At the end of the day, we’re a creative agency, and to feed creativity you need to experience it.”   

Taking that first step toward Asia from Australia and setting up an award-winning creative agency, Ms Lowe has learnt a lot. One of the most important lessons has been learning how to navigate the journey.  

“To survive and thrive in business, you need to be flexible and resilient. You need to know when, and how, to let go – sometimes, of ideas you may have held onto for a long time – and you have to be brave enough to allow new routes and ideas to evolve.” 

Main image credit: The Orangeblowfish