‘We aim to remain human-led, but AI-fed’ – Concept Stadium Founder Jonathan Dalli

In recent months, Concept Stadium has successfully completed a rebranding exercise, bolstered its position in the market and expanded its product offering to include marketing advisory services, specialising in personal branding, fractional CMO support and business strategy. Yet, says FOUNDER AND CEO Jonathan Dalli, its people-centric approach and blue-sky perspective remain unchanged.

You could call Jonathan Dalli a dreamer – and that’s not solely because he still believes his beloved Tottenham Hotspur has a chance of winning the Champions League. Rather, it is because the Founder and CEO of Concept Stadium is galvanised by the vibrancy of optimistic energy. “I am genuinely driven by the power of positivity – and, yes, my support of Tottenham has taught me to believe that a brighter day will come,” he laughs.

Over the years and since its foundation, Jonathan has built and shaped the creative agency and marketing advisory hub by instilling a proactive attitude and culture motivated by compassion. “Empathy and kindness, as powerful figures like Jacinda Ardern, have taught us, remain a priority, as does the hope of being able to make a mark and inspire change, whether that’s small or more substantial,” he says.

This perspective is strengthened by the fact that, while Jonathan understands that he is “the face of Concept Stadium”, he is adamant “it is certainly not all about me”. He prefers to be referred to as the Founder of the organisation, rather than its CEO, saying that the former term emphasises legacy-building. To this end, he is motivated to mentor, guide and have an impact on those around him. “I enjoy seeing people do well, seeing them thrive and seeing them get out of their comfort zone to challenge themselves. We love the term ‘human capital’ – ‘capital’ is an asset on a balance sheet, and that’s how we see our people: as assets. We are also fortunate to have executive leadership within this organisation that genuinely cares and prioritises mentorship and coaching.”

Crucially, at the heart of the company’s approach is what Jonathan calls “blue-sky thinking”. This is “when and where you have a blue-sky, no-limits creative approach”, he says. “People should – and this is vital – come to creative agencies for that ‘blue-sky thinking’. This is where, I feel, marketers thrive,” he insists, adding that Maltese businesses must not let “size determine what can be achieved”. For Concept Stadium, such a mindset has led to projects they would once not have imagined; for instance, the team recently had the opportunity to work on the rebranding of a hotel in downtown Manhattan – 17John Hotel, New York.

“I am very proud to say that today, when you walk through New York’s business district, you will see a brand that we delivered – a brand we crafted. So, my message to the Maltese business community is this: dare to dream, be real, be positive, but be humble and keep your feet on the ground. Tomorrow is start-up day number one.”

Last year, he continues, was shaped by this sense of forward-driven expectancy. It was also characterised by the successful renewal of the agency’s ISO 9001 certification – granted for the 10th year in a row – and the continuation of international market outreach, through attendance at international fairs and conferences focusing on tech, creativity and innovation. Furthermore, 2025 saw Concept Stadium complete its third rebranding exercise.

“This was our rebranding year, and it was interesting to see the evolution of the company as we reaffirmed and re-centred our position in the market. We are a creative agency – that’s our calling card – but we are now also firmly positioned as a marketing advisory hub. This ties in with a new market need influencing our sector, whereby clients increasingly come to us for advisory services and value-added ideation, as well as for tech and innovation. We are in the Idea-as-a-Service business.”

Elaborating, Jonathan explains that the rebranding exercise saw the agency prioritising its service promise and value proposition, and curating the experiences of those who work with and do business with the company. “The biggest change was also in our product offering. We have the creative agency offering – brand, web, digital, and communications. We also have our marketing advisory hub products, which are threefold: personal branding, fractional CMO and business strategy. What we have realised is that marketing in a silo-based environment remains a functional area, but marketing as part of an overall business strategy becomes a key driver for business.”

Moreover, he expounds, adding value through goodwill and strong brand values is vital for the overall success of a company. “There should be a debate about putting brand value as a specific line on the balance sheet. We need to start assigning a tangible financial value to it, as it can keep an organisation on its toes.” He sees this as one of the opportunities companies across sectors fail to appreciate. “The asset value of a brand is crucial when shareholders exit a business or when it comes to selling. It sits at the heart of any organisation’s success.”

Three key words have also motivated the company over the past few months, he continues: fresher, bolder and stronger. “We’re 15 years fresh,” he smiles, adding that the organisation still operates with a startup mentality. “We are also prioritising boldness in terms of confidence – not in being presumptuous or rude, but in establishing a matter-of-fact tone of voice. We’ve also built strength through the togetherness of our team, as well as through our approach to work and quality management.”

Jonathan says this approach is underpinned by the axiom ‘you ask but do not expect’: “There are many misconceptions in business that arise when people simply expect things from one another. I believe business can be more linear and enjoyable when you simply ask a question – without necessarily assuming anything in return – as this behaviour shows interest and engagement.” This mindset is encouraged at Concept Stadium, he underlines, as it is “how we want to drive impact and outcomes.”

These values will become even more essential moving forward as the world prepares for the much-touted artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, Jonathan says. “We believe in digital transformation, and this Pandora’s box of what lies ahead excites me. Society will go through a revolution, and our creative agency is firmly in favour of the responsible use of AI. We aim to remain human-led, but AI-fed. We will use AI to streamline our processes, so that we can continue to focus on blue-sky thinking.”

Adding further context, he explains that he recently posed a question to the agency’s leadership team: “Are we a B2B or a B2C business? The truth is that we are neither. We are an H2H business – human to human – although we continuously appreciate and value technology. Ultimately, it is thinking with people that delivers true value.”

As a result, Concept Stadium cultivates relationships with Brand Managers and C-level executives. “We’re happy to work with brands, but we’re even happier to work with the people and drivers behind them,” he says.

Looking ahead, the creative agency’s priorities over the coming months will continue to centre on diversification, the Founder asserts. “We will keep doing what we do well – engaging in partnerships with those who do things better than us – while also exploring new territories, products and ways of operating. Of course, raising shareholder value remains vital, as that is why we exist, but it is not at the expense of improving quality.”

By the end of the year, Jonathan hopes to have taken “another step towards a future-proofed business driven by legacy.” He also hopes the company continues to be motivated “by a genuine love for people and for brands”, while “seeing more individuals step into leadership positions within our organisation.” And, no doubt, he also hopes to see Tottenham finally win the league title.

This article is part of the serialisation of 50 interviews featured in MaltaCEOs 2026 – the sister brand to MaltaCEOs.mt and an annual high-end publication bringing together some of the country’s most influential business leaders.