Katarinahuset, 2025-07-08

“I like talking about brand strategy – or Jay-Z”

MEMBER INTERVIEW WITH JOHAN RYNELL

Katarina House’s Johan Rynell calls himself an independent brand strategist. This means that he helps creative agencies and companies (often startups and scaleups) to develop strategies and brand positioning. He has previously also worked as a planner at various agencies and was a strategy manager at NORD DDB.

Hi Johan! What do you like most about sitting at A house Katarinahuset?
– Everything from the fact that my friends work here to the good coffee. But most important is the atmosphere. There’s a nerve and a pulse that keeps you constantly alert, curious and moving forward.

What can other members ask/talk to you about? Do you have an area of expertise?
– If you want to talk about work, I’m happy to talk about things related to creative communication or brand strategy. If that sounds boring, I know a lot about Jay-Z.

What are your top three best places to have an AW in the South?
– I live about 1,000 meters west on Hornsgatan so it tends to be somewhere around the walk home, ranging from Viking Bar to Bar Europa. Sometimes I take a detour south to Riche Fenix.

Which artist/band will you listen to a lot during the holidays?
– There have just been a bunch of albums I really like, but if I have to choose one, I’m sure I’ll be listening to Teddy Bryant and Spaceghost’s joint album Majestic Fantasies a lot. In general, I think the summer of 2025 is an Addison Rae summer.

What do you want to eat a lot of this summer – and which dish will be on your bucket list?
– I’m going to Nice and Marseille, among other places, so I hope for lots of seafood. Actually, I like almost all food if it is well cooked. But I really want to make the case that the abuse of pickled red onions needs to stop immediately on everything that isn’t tacos.

Subscribe to Johan’s marketing insights newsletter called “Accidental Insights” – you can find it on Substack!