Jana Straiton is the Founder and Managing Director of Renegade Marketing. She joins Host Simon Hodgkins for this sharp and insightful conversation about building bold brands in a crowded digital landscape. With a career spanning major players like Adobe and PayPal, Jana brings significant experience to the table, along with a rebellious approach to branding and a passion for helping tech companies stand out.
The Power of Rebellious Branding
Jana describes her agency’s ethos as “rebellious,” but not just for the sake of being different. At Renegade Marketing, rebellion means intentionally zigging where others zag. It’s about identifying the unique edge a brand already possesses and amplifying it through strategic planning, identity, and design.
She shares a vivid example from her recent work with CoLo, a fintech challenger brand competing against giants like Stripe. Instead of mimicking the sleek, corporate minimalism of incumbents, CoLo leaned hard into its team’s unapologetic obsession with fintech. The result? A distinct visual identity that resembles Star Trek more than Silicon Valley, with dark, futuristic visuals and a clear voice that positions them as the “Fintech Nerds.” In a world of safe branding, CoLo stands out and wins attention.
Beyond Attitude: Building Brands That Convert
Jana’s work isn’t just about looking different. She’s laser-focused on how branding translates into real business results.
Through deep discovery with founders, teams, and stakeholders, Renegade helps companies uncover their “it factor,” that intangible swagger that sets them apart. Then, they translate it into a clear and compelling identity that not only impresses but also converts.
This approach isn’t branding for the sake of branding. Jana makes it clear: when a company knows what makes it different and communicates that consistently, it earns attention. And in crowded markets, attention leads to meetings, deals, and growth.
From Foundation to Visibility
Renegade Marketing doesn’t stop at branding. Jana’s agency helps clients from strategic foundations to execution. That means:
- Building solid brand and messaging frameworks
- Designing usable, discoverable websites
- Equipping sales teams with pitch decks, demo videos, and messaging
- Driving visibility through content, thought leadership, and brand PR
It’s a refreshingly practical approach. Instead of siloed services, Renegade offers a partnership. “We obsess over our clients’ problems,” Jana says, “and we build our services around solving them.”
From Corporate to Creative: Jana’s Unconventional Path
After two decades in corporate marketing, including high-level roles at Adobe and PayPal, Jana made the leap that most people don’t, leaving a stable corporate career to build an agency from scratch.
That transition wasn’t easy. It involved learning, failing, and adapting. But it gave Jana a crucial edge. She understands her client’s internal politics, pressures, and decision-making dynamics. She brings that insider knowledge into every engagement, helping clients not only build strong brands but also navigate internal buy-in and manage risk.
Creativity, Risk, and the Wild Card Pitch
Creative risk is at the heart of Renegade’s work. Jana’s team always offers clients a “wild card” idea, something unexpected and bold. And surprisingly, many clients go for it. It shows a hunger for distinction, even among risk-averse companies.
Still, Renegade doesn’t push clients off a cliff. They carefully assess risk appetite, presenting a spectrum of options. That balance between strategic clarity and creative daring is a significant part of why their work resonates.
Common Branding Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Jana sees a few consistent missteps in the tech world:
- Unclear messaging – Companies often struggle to explain their products or services in plain language. Renegade helps sharpen value propositions so customers instantly “get it.”
- Mimicking bigger brands – It’s tempting to copy the visual cues of companies like PayPal or Stripe, but Jana warns against it. True differentiation means doing the opposite, not more of the same.
- Her advice is simple: don’t dilute your message, and don’t default to what “mature” brands are doing. Own your difference.
Staying Creative
Jana draws inspiration from her surroundings. Living in East London, she’s immersed in one of the world’s most vibrant creative hubs. From graffiti walls to modern art exhibitions, she’s always observing and absorbing.
Internally, Renegade thrives on diversity. The team is intentionally composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. That mix fuels fresh thinking, which translates directly into bold, resonant client work.
The AI Revolution and the Future of Branding
Jana and her team are enthusiastic adopters of AI, not just as a productivity tool but as a core component of their hybrid agency model. Her vision is clear: humans and machines collaborating, with the human team focused on creativity, strategy, and client relationships.
But she’s also thinking beyond execution. The next frontier, she argues, is shaping how AI perceives your brand. As more people use AI tools for discovery, your brand needs to show up in those outputs. That means influencing what AI “thinks” about you. It’s a brand positioning challenge and a strategic opportunity.
How to Keep Branding Consistent
Jana offers a straightforward approach to brand consistency:
Messaging Frameworks – Clear, channel-specific brand messaging that aligns the entire team.
Templatization – Visual consistency across emails, slides, websites, and social.
Training and Coaching – Ensuring everyone knows how to use the brand assets correctly.
The goal is to eliminate confusion and keep every touchpoint ‘on brand.’
Slow Down, Think Strategically
Jana’s parting words are a reminder to pause.
“Are you clear on your strategy?” she asks. In her experience as an agency founder, most companies aren’t. They’re too busy executing to take a step back and evaluate whether they’re going in the right direction.
Her advice: carve out time to reflect. Audit your brand. Challenge your assumptions. Reconnect with the fundamentals.