July, 2026.- In the competitive global agency ecosystem of 2026, reputation can no longer be a passive exercise; it must be a transformation strategy. Joe Stubbs, following a decade of leadership at giants like Interbrand, joins Pumpkin PR in a pioneering role designed to bridge the gap between visibility and commercial value. For Stubbs, the distinction is clear: strategy defines “where to play,” but transformation dictates “what we must become” to win. In a world saturated with AI-generated content, where volume exceeds human attention span, Stubbs argues that critical thinking and thought leadership have not lost relevance—they have become the only real differentiators. Through his “Pumpkin Pi” model, he proposes a holistic vision where ROI is measured by pipeline volume, opportunity value, and conversion rate, elevating PR from a support function to a vital growth consultancy.
In this exclusive interview with Roastbrief, Joe Stubbs breaks down how his client-side experience allows him to lead with pragmatic empathy, transforming Pumpkin into an integrated content and reputation consultancy. Stubbs reflects on the importance of storytelling in the age of platform fragmentation and how the pre-existing trust with Sarah Owen’s team enables agile and honest execution. Discover why, in the face of marketing automation, the most successful agencies will be those that combine technological efficiency with a bold human voice that cuts through the noise and drives provable business impact.
1. The Newly Created Role
You’ve joined Pumpkin in a newly created role as Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer. What gap in the agency’s offering did this role exist to fill, and how do you define the difference between “strategy” and “transformation” in this context?
I was chatting to a friend who leads a large UK agency about the move recently, and she said, “If you want great agency PR, Pumpkin is among the best in the business.” Pumpkin has deep PR expertise and an impressive line-up of talent delivering work for some of the best agencies in the world.
To complement that strength, I bring experience from building, scaling and leading global brand, creative and marketing teams inside agencies.
The role, as I see it, is twofold: helping clients shape clear growth and marketing strategies – and ensuring we evolve as a business to deliver against those needs. Strategy is about where to play and how to win; transformation is about what we need to become to make that real.
2. From Interbrand to Pumpkin
You spent over a decade at Interbrand, the world’s leading brand strategy consultancy, and before that at C Space. What drew you to Pumpkin specifically, and how does your experience on the brand strategy side of the industry inform how you’ll now serve agencies as clients?
I’ve spent most of my career in global, category-defining agencies – first C Space, then Interbrand. Over that time, I’ve worked on brand positioning, thought leadership and go-to-market strategies with partners across the agency landscape.
I’ve had the opportunity to support rebrands, mergers, new propositions and partnerships across a wide range of sectors – always working closely with agency leaders.
That experience means I can sit with clients and say, “I hear you – I’ve been in that seat.” That empathy helps us connect the dots in a more practical way, focused on outcomes rather than theory.
What drew me to Pumpkin was simple. As I turned 40 this year, I spent some time thinking about when I’ve done my best work. The consistent thread was building things with brilliant people.
Pumpkin offered exactly that – great people, ambitious clients, and a genuine hunger for what’s next.
3. The Agency Marketing Landscape is Shifting
You noted that “the agency marketing landscape is fundamentally shifting, and having a laser focus on ROI is now imperative.” What does ROI look like for an agency investing in its own brand and reputation? How do you measure it?
Growth is the oxygen of any business.
In many agencies, marketing success is judged simply: when the business is growing, marketing is working; when it’s not, marketing is under pressure. The reality is more complex.
There’s increasing demand for direct, provable ROI, particularly in larger organisations. The challenge is that agency marketing doesn’t always operate in those neat, linear ways.
In simple terms, growth comes down to three factors: pipeline volume, average opportunity value, and conversion rate: (a) × (b)) × (c) = total growth potential.
We call this Pumpkin Pi. It’s a simple way to diagnose where growth is really being created – or lost – across the whole system, not just in marketing or sales.
For example, adding more leads isn’t always the answer. If sales teams are stretched, more volume can reduce quality and hurt conversion. In that scenario, more marketing investment can reduce ROI.
The real value comes from looking at these factors together and making more balanced decisions across the full growth system.
4. From PR Agency to Strategic Consultancy
Pumpkin is evolving from a specialist PR agency to an “integrated strategic content, communications and reputation consultancy.” What new capabilities or services will this evolution require, and how does your background in brand strategy and marketing leadership enable that transition?
At its core, Pumpkin is in the business of storytelling – what our clients say, and how and where they say it.
Our clients are some of the best storytellers in the world, which sets a high bar. We already have a strong track record across PR and key industry platforms.
The opportunity now is to build on that foundation. That starts with listening – understanding where clients need more support, and where we can extend our offer in a way that feels credible.
The focus is on taking those storytelling principles and applying them more broadly across strategy, content and communications – always with a clear link to value.
5. Reputation and Thought Leadership in the AI Era
As AI and platform fragmentation reshape the marketing landscape, you’ve noted that “reputation and thought leadership grow in importance.” Why do these factors become more critical, not less, when technology is automating more of the marketing function?
We’re living through an unprecedented surge in content creation. In the last few years alone, we’ve produced more content than in the rest of human history combined – and AI is accelerating that even further.
At the same time, we’re all competing in a broader attention economy. Agencies aren’t just competing – they’re competing with everything that occupies people’s time.
In that context, there’s very little room for work that doesn’t stand out.
The most successful agencies have always built reputations on consistently great work. That creates demand, pricing power and strong conversion. That dynamic doesn’t change.
AI will play an important role, particularly in improving efficiency. But as a long-term differentiator, it’s unlikely to be enough on its own. Clear thinking, strong points of view and work that genuinely cuts through will only become more valuable.
6. A Decade of Collaboration
You noted that you’ve “been lucky to collaborate with the team client-side over the past decade.” How does that pre-existing relationship with Sarah Owen and the Pumpkin team change your ability to hit the ground running in this new role?
There’s always a lot to learn in any new role, and I’m grateful for the support of the team as I get up to speed.
Having worked with Pumpkin as a client does help – it gives me some perspective on the experience we create. But it’s important to stay open and keep learning.
What it does bring is an existing level of trust. Sarah and I, and the wider team, have worked together over many years – with shared successes and some difficult conversations along the way. That builds a level of honesty and understanding that’s hard to replicate quickly.
Alongside that, the business has made some excellent recent hires with Saamiyah and Callan, strengthening an already strong team. I’m excited about what comes next.
