The Agency Built on Data and Creativity: How Helium Became a Leader in Personalisation

The Birth of Helium: From Creative Beginnings to Martech Mastery

Our conversation naturally began with the story behind Helium’s creation. Harold’s journey didn’t start with a grand business plan but with an idea that had its beginnings in 2016 while he was holidaying in the Philippines. Reflecting on his time in the Adobe ecosystem, where he initially worked with creative tools like PageMaker and later moved into marketing technology, Harold realised there was a gap in the way businesses approached Personalisation.

“I’ve been in the Adobe game for 26 years now,” Harold recalled. “But it wasn’t until I started working more on the Martech side that I saw the need for a new kind of agency—one that could integrate data, design, and digital strategies to help businesses personalise their customer experiences at scale.”

By 2018, Harold co-founded Helium with a mission to not just deliver Personalisation services, but to help businesses operationalise personalisation—taking it from a concept to something deeply ingrained in their strategy and execution. His approach? A true end-to-end consultancy model that doesn’t just solve problems but teaches companies how to own and scale their personalisation efforts.

“We didn’t want to be the kind of agency that companies outsourced everything to,” Harold explained. “Instead, we believed in building a consultancy that would help businesses integrate personalisation into their DNA.”

The Power and Challenges of Personalisation at Scale

One of the most fascinating parts of our discussion was the evolution of personalisation in the enterprise world. Helium specialises in Martech architecture, conversion rate optimisation, and audience management, all with the aim of creating personalised experiences that drive conversions. But, as Harold pointed out, there’s a significant gap between having the technology to personalise and actually being able to do it effectively.

“Personalisation is a multi-disciplinary exercise,” he said. “It’s not just about data or design; it’s about merging those with psychology, audience understanding, and marketing expertise. That’s where many businesses fall short—they don’t fully understand how to bring it all together.”

Harold emphasised that while many companies talk about Personalisation, few are able to achieve it at scale. He attributed this to the silos that exist within large organisations—whether they are data silos, departmental silos, or even skill silos. Each of these barriers can prevent companies from creating a unified customer experience across multiple channels.

“We’re still seeing a lack of maturity in how Personalisation is adopted,” Harold noted. “Many companies are good at multi-channel Personalisation, but true omni-channel experiences—where the customer feels understood and recognised across all touchpoints—are still rare.”

Building Helium: The Vision and the Strategy

Harold’s vision for Helium wasn’t just to address this gap but to help companies unlock their potential by embedding Personalisation deep into their business processes. From the start, he believed that brands needed more than just a technology vendor or agency—they needed a partner that could help them operationalise their Martech investments.

“Our goal is to fuse data, design, and digital to deliver Personalisation programs at scale,” Harold said. “But we also focus on helping companies develop their internal capabilities so they aren’t reliant on external agencies for every execution.”

What stood out to me in our conversation was Harold’s focus on scalability. It’s one thing to implement Personalisation for a small campaign or a niche audience, but scaling that across thousands or millions of customers? That’s the real challenge. Helium has positioned itself as the agency that helps companies do just that—move from small-scale initiatives to large-scale, high-impact Personalisation strategies.

The Future of Martech and Personalisation

As the dinner went on, I couldn’t help but marvel at how far Harold had come, and how his insights were so aligned with the future of digital marketing. Personalisation is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s a competitive necessity. But as Harold pointed out, success in personalisation is all about getting the fundamentals right: data, customer insights, and integrated technology.

Looking ahead, Harold sees the rise of generative AI as a key player in scaling personalisation, but he remains grounded in the belief that human intuition and creativity are irreplaceable. “Gen AI will help us get closer to scalable Personalisation, but at the end of the day, it’s about how well you understand your customers and the experiences they value.”

As someone who has built communities around innovation, leadership, and branding, I see Harold’s journey with Helium as a powerful example of what happens when technology and human insight come together. It’s not just about data-driven decisions; it’s about using that data to enhance human instincts and create connections that matter.

Conclusion: The Path Ahead

Catching up with Harold reminded me that business is about much more than strategy and execution—it’s about people. As we parted ways, I reflected on how both of our journeys have been driven by a desire to bring people together, whether through personalised customer experiences or community building. Harold’s work with Helium is a testament to the power of personalisation when done right. It’s about creating not just moments, but relationships that drive long-term success for brands.

In the ever-evolving world of Martech, Harold and Helium are leading the way—showing us all how to turn Personalisation at scale from a buzzword into a reality.