Johnson Nguyen, a native of Vancouver, Canada, is a Marketing genius dissecting the anatomy of attention, and the extent to which digital culture can be manipulated to create content that resonates with people.
Nguyen obtained a bachelor’s degree in Digital Culture from the prestigious Kings College in England, after which he moved back to Vancouver, setting up an agency that operates globally with a team of 15. Johnson Nguyen developed a digital agency specializing in online culture, his company has been able to utilize digital platforms in achieving all client goals.
He is famous for his analogy on the brain and how it processes data and information; every second, the brain is receiving data at the speed of sound, the eyes alone capture almost a billion images per second, the ears do the same sending it all to the brain, processing what we retain and otherwise. The pool is huge, so the retention capacity is open only to information that is necessary or otherwise DIFFERENT.
What inspired your decision to leave Canada and opt instead for England?
From a very young age, my family instilled specific values in me, the cost of hard work, pursuing one’s dreams, and seeing beyond what lies directly in front of you. My father would often say he was only interested in the things he couldn’t see. There was an entire world filled with possibilities and wonders outside the walls of Vancouver, so my family and I would travel a lot, trying to see the things different from what we were accustomed to, it was during one of these trips I fell in love with England and chose to study there. I think these values are embedded in the core of my personality and what I do, my agency strives always to do the things people do not talk about, the things you would ordinarily not notice. Often, these are the strategies that outlive the trends and end up viral.
Why Digital Culture?
We are currently existing in a world where some people cannot fathom what it means to not have internet, without a doubt, the growth and increasing accessibility of the Internet have opened up a new world of possibilities. The digital phenomenon has evolved from a convenience into a culture, a way of life, and I do not just mean the internet, I mean everything. The world is being digitalized, and it’s not stopping anytime soon, the possibilities are endless, I didn’t want to be just another witness of the culture that was brewing, I wanted to be a part of it, I needed to be. Digital Culture is a marriage of two things I’m passionate about, culture and the digitalization of the world.
How do you come up with good ideas?
That’s a tough one because I haven’t exactly found the answer to that, it’s easy to come up with ideas, but good ideas, those are an entirely different ball game. My thoughts are greatly influenced by my desire for the things I can’t see, and those aren’t easy to come by. I do a lot of thinking and a lot of reading, I’m inspired by what people have done in the past, so there’s also a lot of research that goes into everything we do as an agency. Honestly, I would say good ideas are a result of hard work and a relentless search.
What else are you doing when you’re not whipping up new marketing strategies?
I love traveling, that’s something I’ve always loved, so whenever I have the opportunity to see something new, I always try to take advantage of it. My wife and I have been to some incredible places so far, and we look forward to conquering new sights. Other than that, I do a lot of hiking, it helps me keep fit, and the scenery is also amazing.
What advice can you give to upcoming business owners?
When people think of entrepreneurship, I think they imagine waking up at any time of the day, staggering from bed to the bathroom and showing up to a room filled with hardworking people waiting on you to dish out your brilliance. That never even happens in movies; neither does it in real life.
Sometimes I do not know what I’m doing, but I go ahead regardless because
that’s the only way for me. It’s a lot of sacrifices, guts, hard work, tough
decision making, and navigating stormy waters. So, if you’re reading this and
you’re trying to start your own business, there’s never been a better time than
right now, everything you want, every single thing, is possible, you need to
start.
