BiographyMichael DaCosta Babb has worked within the creative industries for over eighteen years. He is a global marketing strategist normally working within the fields of youth and emerging cultural trends. His specialist area is the establishment of sustainable partnerships between commercial and creative entities. The vision of his consultancy, Architects of Communication, is to build and maintain your idea or concept. He appears regularly in the media.Since establishing his own consultancy Architects of Communication in 1996, Michael has worked with key commercial and creative brands in the UK and abroad. Current and recent clients include: Prophecy Magazine (NY), Portuguese Order of architects (20th Century European Architecture Project),Wieden and Kennedy (new business development and marketing strategy: Nokia), Ogilvy Portugal (corporate communication consultancy), Transforma Cultural Association (global marketing strategy) UNICER (Carlsberg) (Conversas UNICER and Laboratório Críativo for Dia C activity – corporate communication strategy and implementation), DDB Lisboa (New Business Development), Reverse Perspective (international business development), JWT Lisboa (New business development), D&AD (creative personal development course), London Youth Arts Network/ Festival of London Youth Arts (marketing appraisal), Sketch (video art gallery restaurant sponsorship), Nigel Coates’ Ecstacity book and exhibition.. Nigel Coates.. Nike collaboration (marketing strategy), Experimenta Design (international marketing strategy for design culture festival in Lisbon), Strawberryfrog (fashion report for Dockers.. Levis), Wieden and Kennedy (cultural trends studies for US based global ad agency for Nike and Coca Cola), Mother (external communications strategy which led to numerous awards including UK advertising agency of the year award in 2001).Michael was co-chair of the 2003 World Creative Forum conference, at Bloomberg London HQ, during the first ever London Design Festival. The event attracted global media coverage. This included ‘conversations’ in front of specially invited audiences with Turner Prize award winning artist Antony Gormley and celebrated Ground Zero architect Daniel Libeskind. (www.londondesignfestival.com) plus a personal endorsement deal with BMW Z4. He also co-chaired alongside Lord Chris Smith the Great Artistic Metropolis, National Public Art Conference, London in November 2005 and chaired the international Transforma Think Tank in Torres Vedras in Portugal 2006 http://transformathinktank.blogspot.com/From 1999 to 2001 Michael carried out research on the subject of Enterprise and Management of the Creative Arts for London College of Printing at the University of the Arts London (formerly known as the London Institute) focussing on the relationship between commerciality and creativity – This included a presentation to the Prime Minister’s cultural policy unit, a presentation to Lord Puttnam, a governor of the University for the Arts London, and a presentation to economics guru Professor John Bates at the London Business School. He has been a visiting Tutor on the BA Arts and Design course at Central Saint Martins and has lectured at London College of Communication (formerly known as London College of Printing) and Goldsmiths. He intends to carry on his research to PhD level looking at the feasibility and evaluation of a globally applicable blueprint for the engagement of brands with community through the creativity. . He is a member of the advisory council for Arts and Business whose patron is HRH The Prince of Wales, the board of IXIA (Public Art Think Tank) and a Portuguese Ministry of Culture structural funds steering committee. He also lectures and is a contributing editor to Art and Architecture Journal. www.artandarchitecturejournal.com. He recently contributed to the forthcoming book ‘1001 buildings’ by Quarto Publishing in the UK.
