28 October, 2010
Recently we’ve been celebrating our tenth anniversary. While it was fantastic to see clients, friends and colleagues for a knees-up, what’s been equally important for us is the chance to reflect and then to look ahead.
A decade ago, U2 were number one with ‘Beautiful Day’. The voluntary sector was just starting to understand the benefits of working with communications agencies. The public sector was getting its head around meaningful, targeted engagement. Social entrepreneurs and enterprises were emerging. And corporate social responsibility was becoming increasingly mainstream.
We knew then that the best way an agency could deliver value to the not-for-profit sectors was to think much more broadly than media relations. So on behalf of our clients we got stuck in, developing attention-grabbing concepts, recruiting cause champions as ambassadors, organising truly interactive and memorable events, and creating networks that opened up new opportunities.
Much of this work was delivered in partnership, and we held hands with some amazing specialists – lawyers, enterprise advisers, designers, story-tellers, photographers, thinkers. We were united in wanting to effect positive social and environmental change.
Over the years, our markets evolved and we responded, which meant working in different ways. And thinking about it now, those ways became a bit less dynamic and a bit less collaborative. That’s what happens when people become comfortable.
So now here we are. Bruno Mars is number one with ‘Just The Way You Are (Amazing)’ and the world is a different place. Which means responding to change again. For us, we know this involves reviving old relationships and finding new friends to work alongside us. It means going back to a more flexible approach, offering clients a full package of services from an assembled team of expert, committed associates. And it means remaining nimble and adaptable throughout.
We are eager and ready. And talking to friends at our birthday party, many others are too.
It was a beautiful day when Amazon was born. And it’s been a great ten years. But now we are excited about new approaches and new partnerships, because the people around us are creative, gifted and inspired. To all of you, we look forward to working together because you are amazing, just the way you are.
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