COVENT GARDEN, U.K. - s4story -- Katy Howell is launching Rethink Social to give marketers greater control over what social delivers for their business.

Rethink works with senior marketers across B2B and consumer businesses to establish where social can contribute to commercial objectives, then work with their teams and agencies to put that thinking into practice. Its ambition: Make social count.

"Social has become more complicated to lead," says Howell. "There are so many possibilities competing for attention and budget. You need to be able to look at the work and say: this is right for our audience, this is worth pursuing. And you need a way to judge whether it's making a difference.

"That's what I wanted to build Rethink around. Getting close enough to the audience to see where the opportunity lies, then working out what to do with it. Marketers should be able to give their teams and agencies a clear direction, with room to do brilliant work. There's too much invested in social for its purpose to be woolly."

Rethink's work begins with audience research, examining patterns in behaviour and the signals that reveal what influences buyers. Workshops bring that evidence into the room with the marketing team to work out what it means for the brand's messages and its approach to social.

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"There's a moment in a workshop that I absolutely love," Howell says. "We've been digging into the audience, and then the team sees the connection between what those people care about and what the brand can offer. It's like finding the right puzzle piece. It clicks.

"For me, that's gold dust. It changes the conversation about what we should be doing on social and why. I wanted to build Rethink around that work, because it's where I see so much of the opportunity."

B2B is an important part of the business. Rethink considers the people involved in a buying group and how a brand can earn their trust over a long purchase cycle, including through useful material they can share with colleagues. Social has a role well before an enquiry reaches the sales team.

For consumer brands, the work explores how social can build a place for the brand in people's lives, giving them reasons to remember it and consider it when they buy.

"Understanding the platforms matters enormously. Bringing marketing judgement to that knowledge is where it gets really interesting," Howell adds. "I want marketers to look at social and see what it could make possible for their business. If that's a conversation you've been wanting to have, I'd love to talk."

Find out more and talk to Rethink at rethinksocial.co.uk.