about us

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We've seen the same challenge surface across organizations of every size: businesses often invested in marketing activity before establishing the clarity, alignment and structure needed to make that activity effective.

The strongest work always began further upstream, with a clear understanding of why the brand exists, what it promises and the values that guide how it shows up. That foundation informed everything that followed, from positioning and customer journeys to campaign development, team structure and measurement.

kindling was created to bring that kind of senior thinking to businesses in a more flexible way. It gives founders, executives and marketing teams access to experienced strategic leadership, practical frameworks and hands-on support, without the complexity of a traditional agency or the commitment of a full-time executive.

kindling was founded by Andrea O’Donnell, a strategic brand and marketing leader with more than 15 years of experience spanning brand building, business leadership, loyalty, integrated marketing, creative storytelling and data-driven communications. Her career has moved across agency, client-side and purpose-led organizations, giving her a broad view of what it takes to build brands, lead teams, and turn strategy into meaningful action. 

Andrea has led brand and marketing functions, managed complex client portfolios and developed full-funnel programs, including diversity & inclusion initiatives, for organizations including Girl Guides of Canada, SickKids Foundation, TD Canada Trust, The Globe and Mail, Shoppers Drug Mart, President’s Choice, NO FRILLS, Dermalogica and AIR MILES. 

Her experience extends from executive-level strategy to hands-on delivery: leading large teams, managing multi-million dollar portfolios, building marketing operating models, shaping customer journeys, developing integrated campaigns and strengthening the systems that help marketing teams perform.