Meet Colin Robertson, MD
Meet Colin Robertson, Managing Director
At UMA, we believe the strength of our agency comes from the expertise and passion of our team. First up in our Meet the Team series is Col Robertson, our Managing Director, who brings over 25 years of experience in strategic marketing, creative campaigns, and driving change in the utilities sector.
From leading high-profile projects to helping clients simplify complex messages, Colin has played a key role in shaping UMA’s approach. Want to know his thoughts on the future of utilities marketing and what makes a great campaign? Read on!
What’s your role at UMA, and what does your day-to-day look like?
As Managing Director and Co-founder of UMA, I oversee the running of our parent company Litewhite Group and our brands UMA, Blumilk and YARDD. My role is a mix of leadership, strategy, and hands-on involvement in growing the business. I focus on new business development, writing tenders and proposals, and playing a key role in pitches to help win exciting new projects. No two days are the same, and that’s what keeps things interesting!
How did you get started in marketing and design for the utilities sector?
I co-founded Blumilk in 1999, and we built it into a strong creative agency. Our journey into the utilities sector started in 2003, when we partnered with NWG – a relationship that spanned many years.
By 2005, we created our first regulatory and investor annual report, and in 2006, we worked directly with a utilities regulator for the first time. As the industry evolved, so did we, and by 2015, we were delivering the largest price control business plan to date – an 899-page submission that shaped future projects.
Fast forward to summer 2024, and we took on a new challenge: we viewed Blumilk as a client and asked ourselves how we could align our expertise more closely with the needs of the utilities sector. The result was UMA – a bold evolution of our identity and a clear expression of what makes us unique: our deep knowledge of utilities marketing.
What’s one project you’ve worked on at UMA that you’re particularly proud of?
A standout moment was in 2023, when we won our first international utilities client – ATCO Gas and Pipelines Ltd in Canada. ATCO needed support refining a highly technical regulatory report for their Yellowhead Mainline project, which expands Alberta’s natural gas network.
We helped simplify complex information, ensuring the report was clear, engaging, and aligned with ATCO’s brand and messaging goals. The project showcased our ability to translate technical content into compelling communications, and ATCO praised our flexibility, creativity, and ability to enhance technical documents visually and strategically.
How do you balance creativity with the often technical and regulated nature of the utilities sector?
It’s all about understanding the industry inside out. You have to know the regulations, the technical details, and the compliance requirements – but that doesn’t mean the creative side should take a backseat.
Our approach at UMA is to simplify the complex without losing impact. Whether it’s customer engagement campaigns, internal communications, or investor reports, we take technical information and turn it into engaging, human-centred content that connects with audiences.
If you had to describe UMA’s approach to client work in three words, what would they be?
- Strategic – Everything we do is underpinned by industry insight and a clear, measurable strategy.
- Creative – We push boundaries to make even the most technical topics engaging and accessible.
- Impactful – Our work isn’t just about looking good; it drives real results and lasting change.
What’s your favourite way to unwind after delivering a big campaign?
I love to run and cycle, and I especially enjoy anything off-road or in the wilds. You’ll often find me at Hamsterley Forest or somewhere similar, with my dogs taking on the trails. It’s a great way to clear my head and refuel for the next challenge.
That’s a wrap on our first Meet the Team feature!
Want to hear more from Col Robertson or chat with UMA about your next utilities campaign? Drop us a message.