Almost without exception, agencies are embracing a more flexible attitude and approach to work and an overwhelming majority of employees would like to see this continue. But as you get to grips with what the future of work might look like, some aspects of agency life should become less flexible and even non-negotiable. And this is actually a good thing.
Flying in the face of constraints, the winning agencies will be the ones with an uncompromising focus on their culture, focusing on how they can support their people to be their best selves and do era-defining work. An awakening for some perhaps, but really just smart business as the battle for talent ramps up. The quality of agency culture is topping the list of reasons for the top talent to stay or go.
So where does an uncompromising approach pay when it comes to the codes you set, the teams you build and the way you work together?
We know from recent research and extensive work with our clients that a new cultural contract is emerging. Operating with a clear purpose, solid values and an unwavering commitment to wellbeing, diversity and open communication is non-negotiable. Structuring and supporting teams to play to their strengths, build healthy habits and be impact-driven is non-negotiable. Creating a connected working experience that makes the most of time and space wherever you might physically be, is non-negotiable.
We explore this new cultural contract and more in the Future Positive Talent guide, which you can download today. Find out more about what a new era of work demands and gain some critical advice on how to master it.
As a PR agency, we often talk about the importance of building the profile of a business or an individual, but what does that really mean? Here we cover the basics about building a profile – why it’s important, how it helps with day-to-day PR and where to start.
When we talk about having a profile, we mean being known for something – often for a specialism. For a PR agency, our client having a profile will either mean that, when discussing you with a journalist they might know you by name, or by company. Or we will be able to quickly demonstrate your profile by sharing articles and coverage that proves it.
Equally, you or your company might be given a quick Google at some stage. Generally, a range of pieces appearing, not just from your website, demonstrate what you stand for. The same goes for prospects or potential customers or connections – if they search for you, they should ideally see a good range of pieces that represent you and your area of expertise. (We’ve also written more about the benefits good PR brings across your business).
Being known for something in particular will mean you’re more likely to be featured in an article about it. You might become a go-to person on the topic. You could appear on a podcast or at an event all around it. Even if you feel you’re an expert, it’s much harder to convince a journalist to feature your commentary or news if they’ve never heard of you and can’t find much about you online. Especially if you’re up against competitors with ready-made profiles.
Remember, journalists need to be sure they’re speaking to an expert, rather than someone who could be talking a good game without much substance behind it. They can’t risk spending time on an interview otherwise. And, if they do find a good source with a decent profile, they will come back again, and could even remember you if they move positions or publications.
Two main things are important: the consistency of what you’re saying and the regularity of you saying it. Consistency comes back to your key specialisms or areas to push. And it’s not just about talking – it’s also about demonstrating. As an agency, you can do this through sharing creative work to prove your proposition, for example, or, as a business, through your output or your products.
We are happy to work on one-off pushes or launches, or on ongoing PR. But, to build a profile, you need regularity. It’s important to be providing what publications need frequently and consistently. That’s also key if you want to get into a particular publication. We will help you to understand what to target them with and we will keep them on our radar and discuss you with them at every appropriate opportunity. We can only do this with an ongoing relationship.
We often work with people who have never promoted themselves or their business, or worked with a PR consultancy before, so we’re experienced in starting from scratch. It’s an opportunity – a clean slate. But it’s also important to understand that it’s the start of a process of building a profile. PR isn’t about going from zero to hero overnight.
Take Joe Wicks, as an example. He wasn’t really on my radar until his brilliant PE With Joe initiative this time last year. We’re now faithful Friday home PE fans (fancy dress and all!) and you can hardly move for seeing another article or cover story about him. So I could be forgiven for thinking he was an overnight sensation.
But actually, he’s openly talked about his 10 years of hard work behind the scenes, leading to that event. If he’d have hired a PR company 10 years ago (and maybe he did) there’s no way he would have been so in demand. He worked hard on his product, captured the zeitgeist and now his profile is sky high.
OK, so we don’t all have Joe Wicks ambitions (although some might!), but we may want to become a sought-after speaker within our sector, or the go-to professional in our field within our local area. And it’s great to start with a clear objective.
As PR pros, it’s our job to help you define that objective – that’s why we kick off with our Three Lens Messaging Session. And from that, we create a plan which will have clear steps to build towards that ambition.
We’ve landed some great pieces for clients relatively early on in working with them – be that an interview with the BBC, the Evening Standard or The Times. Fantastic. But one piece – even a brilliant piece in a top tier publication – does not make a profile.
Having a profile is about momentum and consistency. Top tier titles might be part of that, but probably sector press will be as well. More about the importance of trade and local press here.
Two final points – it’s not about having advertorials or paid-for pieces. These aren’t always viewed in the same way as editorial. Advertising is part of the mix, but it’s not the same as having an earned profile. And lastly, timing is also crucial. It’s great if you did some activity five years ago, but if there’s nothing since that, your profile isn’t a current one.
For further advice on this, we’ve also written about what you can do to support profile raising through your own channels.
It feels like no time at all since this course launched, we’re onto the third cohort of New Ways of Working already, and I’m thrilled with how it’s going! Would you like to sign up to be a part of the next group, starting on 29 March? The first two sold out and I’d love for you to join me for the third 🤗
It’s been awesome helping people to experiment with new ways of working in their organisations, which have so far included: BJSS (tech consultancy), Mencap (UK charity), Haringey Council, Mercedes-Benz, Ofwat (UK government department), The Co-operative Group, The Soil Association, BIMM (University), plus a US teaching organisation, an Italian marketing consultancy, a US equity management company, and a lovely non-profit organisation here in Bristol.
- By far one of the most useful, practical, engaging, interesting courses I’ve been on. Hats off to you, super well thought out, from a practical, mental and emotional perspective.
- The experimenting methodology gives me the opportunity to not only “take a course” but actually practising in the “real world”.
- The benefits to the business have been tangible and resulted in me thinking about work in a very different way.
- I loved having another colleague on the course and would totally recommend others try to do the same… I loved the organisation of the course, it all felt incredibly “slick.” … I loved Marks humble approach, he listened to us all intently and was patient with us when we needed more time on certain things.
- The experiments each week really helped me grow my comfort towards experimenting further. They gave me the perspective of how much needs to be a done, and an eye for what might be ‘bite-size’.
- I loved Marks generosity, he clearly spends a lot of time preparing and introduced me to very cool tools that we are now using in the organisation.
- As a facilitator, you do add quite a bit of magic sauce to holding the space, and your curation of materials is unbeatable.
If you’re curious about joining the next group (starting on 29 March) then read on for full details.
The course objective is for you to enjoy your job more and to be an even better member of your team. You’ll learn collaboration and leadership skills, how to hold meetings that don’t feel like a chore, and how to make better decisions by quickly seeking and integrating the wisdom of the group. You’ll learn how to give ‘brain-friendly’ feedback, know what’s getting in the way of being a great team, and develop the mindset to help make change happen.
To do this we’ll borrow from the best sources. These include agile, self-management, organisational psychology, and the most progressive companies on the planet. Here’s a sneak peek of the course platform:
The course is led by me, Mark Eddleston. I’m a new ways of working consultant, coach, facilitator and Founder of Reinventing Work. Since 2015 I’ve been practising new ways of working and synthesising the mountain of information that’s out there. The New Ways of Working course is something of a greatest hits. We’ll fast forward to the trusted, tried and tested patterns that are found in some of the world’s most progressive organisations.
On this course, you’ll be practising and learning all the way. You’ll get better at listening, teamwork, and self-organising. There will be pre-work ahead of each weekly meet on Zoom. You will have the chance to ask questions and to form a community on Slack. You’ll become familiar with Notion, where course content is shared, and with Focusmate which will help you to get through the content. You’ll experience Mural and Liberating Structures. Each week you will design an experiment that will be implemented in your own team. You’ll form partnerships with classmates who will help you, hold you accountable and be depending on you. Throughout, you’ll be experiencing some of the best collaborations tools and practices out there.
Throughout the course, you will learn structures that you can pop in your pocket, take back to work and use immediately.
Expect practical, interactive and participatory. Each week the format looks like this:
So it’s a weekly commitment of at least 6 hours, some of which will take place during work time.
The five-week course begins on Monday, 29 March 2021. We meet every Monday at 18.00 – 20.00 GMT, wrapping up on 26 April 2021.
This course is for you if you are:
To secure your place double-check the eligibility criteria ☝️ then send a note to confirm ([email protected]) and I’ll generate an invoice right away.
Please note that cohorts are limited to 12 places.
I’m a new ways of working consultant, coach, and facilitator and I came across new ways of working in New Zealand in 2015 after spending a pretty frustrating decade in traditional workplaces. It was the first time I found consistent fulfilment in work. This beautiful and challenging experience was with a law firm and community organisation that features on the distinguished Corporate Rebels ‘bucket list’. Once you taste this way of working, it’s impossible to go back. I’ve now been a member of staff in three organisations that embraced progressive leadership, so come with plenty of lived experience.
I’m co-founder of Reinventing Work, a global community and playground for people interested in decentralised, purposeful and self-organised ways of working. So far we’ve gathered in over 25 cities across five continents, including in Bristol (where it began) London, Berlin, Melbourne, Montreal and New York. I’ve delivered online sessions to thousands, spoken about new ways of working at The University of Oxford, and facilitated at Meaning Fringe. I’ve also appeared on the wonderful Leadermorphosis podcast and the University of the West of England’s MSc Occupational Psychology programme discussing the future of work.
My website: https://www.marco.work.
You know the world has changed significantly and that agencies need to change too. Agencies have to meet the new standards that will impact more and more as we move into 2021. We’re sure that you’ll have made some changes to your business – but will they be enough to drive the success you’re looking for?
When it comes to your own business, identifying and implementing the changes that will really make a difference isn’t easy. There’s a need to know what’s really going on, to rethink your approach and be brave about it. And that’s much easier to achieve when armed with new insights and prompted to look at things differently. Our Future Positive guide will provide an understanding of what it takes to achieve agency success when there are new standards at play. It covers all the fundamentals relating to clients, talent and how to create value – and provides critical advice on many different actions you should consider.
We know that clients’ structures, knowledge and expectations are changing significantly, so agencies can no longer rely on historical relationships. Nor on their past approaches to winning new business. We know that top talent is also demanding more choice, flexibility and meaning, making it more challenging than ever to attract and retain good people. We know that high profitability is now an obligation not an option, and that value depends on many factors beyond the simple financials. So there’s a lot to think about and a lot to be positive about too, so take a look.
The Future Positive guide will encourage you to think bigger or do better in different ways in whatever areas are most critical for you. For example, how to sharpen your strategy, improve profitability, strengthen client relationships, win more business, optimise your team’s performance, create a winning culture. And we’re always here to talk so get in touch. We’ll share what we know and explain how other agencies have turned these current challenges into new opportunities.
Want to grow your agency but don’t know how? Has growth plateaued? Are you struggling to find more of the right type of client? Are you trying to build an awesome team and are finding it tough to find the right people? Or perhaps your agency is growing but you’d like a refresher, tips and advice on how to accelerate your growth?
If any of these questions resonate then why not join a bunch of highly motivated agency owners and Janusz Stabik, a coach and mentor to agencies across the globe and lead coach for Google across numerous agency growth programs to help find the answer.
Audience: Agency owner/founders
What’s holding you back from running the agency you want to run? What do the high performers do differently from the rest? How good is your agency?
Janusz will take you through the strategy, benchmarks, tips and templates you’ll need to run an efficient and effective agency to accelerate your growth in 2021. You’ll meet other agency owners and gain fresh perspectives, you’ll feel the weight lift from your shoulders, you’ll be energised and excited about the future and you’ll have gained clarity on how to get there.
By the end of the workshop you will:
Audience: Owner founder + Directors
Running and growing agency depends entirely on recruiting and retaining good people who do great work. You work hard to attract great employees, you want the best! But what does the “best” really mean? Good cultural fit? Good at their job? Experienced? Passionate about their work? All of this?
If any of the following rings true, this workshop is for you:
At the end of this workshop you will:
Audience: Agency owner founders, sales/marketing teams, account managers/client service execs
The average agency loses 20% of its revenue every single year through client churn. The sobering fact is, this is the average and it’s not uncommon for churn to be closer to 45% (a HUGE hole to fill). This results in unhappy teams, unhappy clients, lost marketing spend, lost time, lost effort, lost money – no wonder growth is so difficult?
What if:
Sound like a pipe dream? It’s not and it’s eminently achievable.
At the end of this workshop you will:
Join this workshop to find out how to kick-start your growth by focusing on your most important asset – your existing customers.
You can book for each individual session via the links above or, for the most value, book all three sessions as a package by emailing [email protected].
Individual sessions are £45+VAT per session for BCI members or £70+VAT for non-members.
Book all 4 sessions for £100+VAT (BCI Members) or £160+VAT (non-members).
Janusz is a coach and mentor to agency leaders across the globe through his coaching practice and consultancy, Digital Agency Coach, where he helps helping agency owners to run better businesses, lead better teams, make more money and have fun doing so. He’s an ex-agency owner, a trusted speaker for Forbes, head coach at the GYDA Initiative and a lead coach for Google across multiple agency growth programmes throughout EMEA.
2021 brings with it a welcome wave of change in how we think about work.
Now, more than ever, people are empowered to drive their own careers. But to thrive in this environment needs a shift in mindset and some core behaviours.
This series of four bitesize sessions with Katie Scotland is designed to help everyone grow … to use your strengths to feel more confident, have more impact, build better relationships and create more inspiring ways of working together.
Each session takes the latest thinking from inspiring sources and practical experience, and packages it up for you in simple frameworks and actionable steps to get you started.
Everything in these sessions can be applied to yourself and your team so, not only can it help you grow, you can build your own leadership to help those around you grow too.
MINDSET : Thursday 11th March 9.30 (1 hour Zoom)
Growth comes when you use your strengths to lean into challenges and solve problems.
FEEDBACK : Thursday 25th March 9.30 (1 hour Zoom)
Growth comes when you are clear on your strengths, and what is holding you back.
GOAL-SETTING : Thursday 15th April 9.30 (1 hour Zoom)
Growth comes when you are focused on how you make an impact.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY : 29th April 9.30 (1 hour Zoom)
Growth comes when you step into things you might not have done before, without the fear of ‘getting it wrong’… when you share your voice and ideas, knowing that the people around you have your back.
… anyone at any level who wants to learn or feel more equipped, whether you are a seasoned business leader or at the start of your career… in a small team or large organisation.
You can find out more and book your place for each individual session via the links above.
Places are £30+VAT per session (BCI members), £45+VAT non-members
“Katie has a real skill for helping you find the gems that will enable your growth. She is empathetic and honest, gently challenging your preconceptions to help you see yourself in a fresh light – leaving you not only clearer about what and why, but with realistic and tangible steps towards how.” ~ Kate Lenton, Taxi Studio
Katie Scotland is a leadership and career coach.
Katie has studied and practiced coaching and leadership development over the last 7 years, working with individuals from early career to C-Suite, from small business to large organisations (for the likes of OVO Energy, Iris Worldwide, Taxi Studio and Loom Digital).
Katie focuses on turning inspiration into action, helping people and businesses reimagine their futures and creating practical plans to get there.
As joint leader of an independent agency, 2020 has meant sleepless nights. But it has also provided opportunities to inspire others and galvanise our team.
There never has been and there still won’t be perfect leaders in 2021. Throughout 2020, leaders have been pushed and tested in completely new ways. Moving forward it’s important to focus on our strengths as leaders, rather than our weaknesses. Reach out and work alongside other leaders to delegate some of your leadership tasks and remember that in areas you struggle, someone else will excel. It is a positive thing to learn from this. We as leaders are always learning. In an effort to continue our development and competence in this area, with my fellow Director, Chris Thurling, we recently took part in a two-day course run by the Institute of Directors entitled Leadership for Directors. Be open to new information and to adapting your preferred methods and means as necessary.
As a leader you are also a follower, likely following other leadership team members within the business. Demonstrate what it means to be a good follower through asking the right questions and having the right attitude towards a mutual goal. Praise and reward good following within the business and cultivate an atmosphere of support and trust. This will be crucial in tackling the upcoming year.
Staff will need to know what level of risk is acceptable within the business, especially coming out of the complex year that was 2020. It’s important that as a leader you communicate if risk and innovations are rewarded or if in the current period the aim is to avoid risk within the business.
We’re all motivated by different means: money, autonomy, flexibility etc. These motivations also change throughout a person’s life. Many of our motivations have changed in 2020 in particular as our lives have shifted emphasis. It’s vital that moving forward you have empathy with your team and ask individuals what it is that motivates them. Don’t waste your time offering flexibility to an individual who is focused on financial gain for example.
Sir Alex Ferguson got it spot on when he said this. Good leaders can inspire people simply by being around them, and often have an energy that people want to follow. This has increased in difficulty this year as a leader’s presence is significantly diluted on screen. The minute I as a leader press that ‘leave meeting’ button online, my presence has gone. This is an obstacle that needs to be overcome and one of the reasons I believe that, to misquote Mark Twain, the death of the office has been greatly exaggerated.
Understand, share and coach people through the change management process, and Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ change curve, so they appreciate the emotional journey they are likely to go through when faced with change, especially big or unexpected sudden change. We might go through stages of shock, denial, then anger and frustration, through to uncertainty or depression, before starting to feel more positive with acceptance, problem solving and finally commitment. Following the difficult year that has been 2020 it is vital that as we move forward, we are able to do so together.
It’s important to see connections and relationships develop across different levels and skill sets within the business. This is why, in normal times, colleagues enjoyed lunches and trips to the pub together. These obviously haven’t happened in 2020 and businesses will need to figure out how to maintain social connections whilst the virus still rages and how to rebuild them post lockdown.
With communication, people want to understand WHY something has been decided – as much as possible, if you can share the raw or primary data that has influenced decisions, people will find it easier to contextualise and understand the reasons for decision-making. We’ve learned this year, when we haven’t felt the support of our team in a direction we propose, it might have been because we haven’t been transparent enough with what we were seeing, and why we thought the proposal was the best solution. Clear language is vital moving forward as the conversations that usually happen between staff in the office to provide clarity aren’t always happening remotely. Leadership styles are also contextual so bear in mind that what worked in the office may not work online. Perhaps a more direct approach will be needed. A greater emphasis on clarity will be necessary no matter what your chosen leadership style.
In 2020, we have seen more than ever before the truth in the saying “Repeat yourself so often, you get sick of hearing yourself. Only then will people begin to internalise what you’re saying”. With so many changes, and also real or perceived threats, people want to know what that means for them. Even if there is no-change, communicating that gives reassurance. This remains crucial as we move into the uncharted territory that is 2021.
Leadership principles go back centuries in history and remain relevant today. Moving forward, leaders will continue to build on these principles alongside an ever-evolving culture.
A lot has changed in 2020 but good leadership principles have not. Leaders have simply had to adapt.
This article was written by Andy Brown, Chief Financial Officer at Armadillo, and first appeared on Business Chief.
Bristol-based marketing agency, Seeker Digital, has been ranked 25 in the Deloitte’s UK Technology Fast 50 2020 and makes the top two for the South West region.
The Deloitte Fast 50 winners are recognised as being the fastest-growing technology companies in the UK. The Bristol-based agency has grown by an exceptional 1683% since it was founded four years ago and is the only agency to make the Fast 50 list this year.
Duncan Down, lead partner for the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 programme, said: “The Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 is internationally revered as one of the most important business awards in the industry.”
“Achieving sustained revenue growth of 1683% over four years is a tremendous accomplishment. And to be second in the South West after just four years of trading makes this accolade even more exceptional.” Duncan adds.
Seeker Digital’s growth comes at a time of unprecedented turmoil, shaped by economic and political uncertainty, not to mention the challenges of a pandemic. Despite this, Seeker Digital has continued to grow as an agency thanks to its innovative use of machine learning.
Gareth Simpson, managing director of Seeker Digital says: “As with many other agencies during this current climate, we’ve seen our fair share of challenges. But our investments in tech have aided our success and survival.”
Simpson continues: “We implemented machine learning in many facets of the business to speed up our work and make it more meaningful from day one. And this is all thanks to government research and development schemes that are available to startups across the nation. The result? An operating system that’s efficient, scalable and futureproof for our business and our clients.”
Seeker Digital is keen to share its skills with the wider industry. In October 2020, the team spoke at the virtual search conference BrightonSEO, sharing their knowledge and insights with an audience of over 10,000.
The world has changed significantly, and agencies will need to change with it. Just because you’ve been successful in the past; you won’t have an automatic right to thrive in the future. But the pressures are more fundamental than just this crisis. The agency world has been at a tipping point for many years and it’s time to move to a better model. One that shifts focus away from what agencies ‘do’ to the value they can create in all respects – uniquely solving genuine problems for clients, empowering great talent and running businesses more sustainably so that everyone succeeds.
At Tonic, we’ve invested significantly in developing Future Positive to help agencies understand and respond successfully to the required depth and speed of change. The new guide draws together our frontline client experience, extensive research into changing expectations and a range of perspectives from an industry going through and seeking positive change.
Get your copy of Future Positive here.
Insightful, practical advice for all agency founders and leaders looking to emerge stronger and lead the way in a new era of business.
Extensive economic changes provoked by COVID have resulted in the biggest challenge for a decade as more UK Agencies seek a business valuation and assistance on rebuilding value. As a result, we are offering each agency the opportunity to receive a free valuation of their business helping them to prioritise tasks to rebuild value, or raise finance and investment, or buy-out shareholders or sell their business.
No one can anticipate how long the economic conditions will remain or change further as we enter a second lockdown, so we intend to email valuation updates to each registered Agency who complete our algorithm. The effects of economic and Covid crisis are not limited to short-term view, the longer-term impact also requires agency owners to consider significant interventions to protect cash-flows and rebuild value.
So whether you’re seeking or raising finance, thinking of selling your agency or reviewing the strategic direction of your creative agency, for a limited period we are offering a free confidential valuation.
To new agencies, the process involves 3 simple steps.
First step:
To help us calculate the Agency’s value, answer a few questions for our algorithm to work through the risks and value drivers.
Second step:
Tell us a little bit about your Agency, including your email address, so we can send you a confidential agency valuation report.
Third step:
Based on the information provided, we will email valuation updates when ‘significant circumstances’ change the algorithm value multiplier.
As more agencies complete our valuation algorithm, we are able to refine and improve the accuracy of valuing UK creative businesses, which we intend to use for the benefit of our customers. If you have any questions please call me or email [email protected], or take advantage of our free www.ouragencyvalue.com/report/