Smudged

Humanising B2B brands, aligning operations, people, & marketing efforts for your unfair advantage.

28/09/2026

Brand or Performance. What’s more important? What if it’s neither?

A few highlights from our founder Caroline’s discussion at

24/09/2026

One conversation from Mastering Diversity really stuck with us.

Casey Cucciniello from Vodafone said:
“...you can really exclude people from technology. If you just assume that they will know how to use it.”

It’s a technology point, but it’s also a business one.

Building something that works doesn’t necessarily mean building something that works for everyone.

So, what assumptions are we making about the people we’re designing for?

21/09/2026

Nobody buys in a straight line.

They circle back, ask colleagues, remember past experiences and weigh up trust alongside the numbers.

Sometimes the barrier isn’t whether they want what you’re selling.

It’s whether they feel confident enough to choose it.
The offer can be right. The numbers can work. And the deal can still stall.
Because choosing involves risk.

Understanding that hesitation matters too.

18/09/2026

Last week, our founder Caroline Smith joined the Brand vs Performance debate at Beyond the Business Card.

But the real question wasn’t which one wins.
It was what are your customers actually telling you?

Sales hears it. Delivery sees it. Marketing tracks it. Leadership sees the numbers.
The problem? Those insights don’t always get joined up.

Brand and performance are tools. The strategy starts with understanding your customer.

08/09/2026

Brand vs Performance. Which one really drives growth?

What if it’s neither?

Brand and performance are often treated as separate sides of marketing. But if you don’t understand what the market actually wants, neither can fix that.

Our founder, Caroline Smith, will be bringing this perspective to the Beyond the Business Card panel this Thursday. She’ll be joining Tash Sanganoo, Alex Murphy and Andy Jarvis.

📍 Slug & Lettuce Cardiff
📅 Thursday 10 September
⏰ 6pm

See you there!

04/09/2026

It’s almost time 👀

On 10 September, our founder Caroline Smith will be joining the Mastering Diversity community as an Ambassador at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.

At Smudged, we’ve always believed growth starts with people.

Different perspectives.
Different ways of thinking.
Different experiences.

As an AuDHD founder, Caroline knows first-hand what it feels like to navigate spaces that weren’t built for how you think, and what becomes possible when organisations make room for difference.

We’re so excited to support Caroline and celebrate this next chapter.

📍 Cardiff
📅 10 September
⏰ 9am–4pm

If you’re going, come and say hello 👋

🌍 We go together or not at all.

12/08/2026

Client Day 💡

We recently spent the day with Debbie Airey from Kicking the Door Down, an organisation empowering women in STEM.

We talked through her ideas. Mapped out her thinking. Asked a lot of questions. There was even the occasional doodle.

It wasn’t about sitting down with a problem and leaving with all the answers.

It was about making space to think. Being comfortable with a bit of uncertainty.

Because sometimes, you need to sit in the mess before things start to make sense.

Slowly, the dots started to join.

What Kicking the Door Down really is. Who they need to be talking to. Where they could go next.

And by the end of the day, things felt a little clearer.

Debbie summed it up perfectly:

“Oh, my head feels so much clearer.” 🧠

And that’s what getting Unsmudged is all about.

30/06/2026

After an amazing placement , it’s time to say goodbye, and hello 👋

Over the past 16 weeks, Eve and Katie have joined us at team Smudged, and truly made their mark. They’ve brought energy, fresh ideas, and plenty of hard work.

We’re excited to announce that Katie will be staying on. More to come soon! 👏

And while Eve has decided to pursue other opportunities, we wish her the best. We’re sure she’ll smash whatever comes next. 💫

12/03/2026

A very big warm welcome to Eve and Katie, who've joined Team Smudged for the next 16 weeks on marketing placements as Smudged continues to grow.

Eve brings a background in biopsychology. Katie comes from journalism. Between them, they're already asking the kind of questions that make you think harder about what you're doing and why.

That's exactly the energy we love.

They'll be getting stuck into projects across content, research, and some of the go-to-market programmes we have running this year.

We're excited to have you both on board, and we're looking forward to seeing you grow, succeed, and make your mark here at Smudged.

Welcome to unsmudging the Messy Middle. 👏

01/03/2026

Happy St David’s Day from Smudged.

Address

Trafalgar House, 05 Fitzalan Place
Cardiff
CF240ED

Website

http://www.wearesmudged.com/

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