“Rachel is wonderful to work with. She brought clarity of thought on the brand idea and intelligent advice on how to reposition the offer and sort out our marketing strategy. Rachel gave me the confidence to steer the project internally and the insight on how to navigate stumbling blocks. She had real clout with the Board. Her approach is pragmatic and no-nonsense. She is good at listening, very attentive to detail and her advice is always intuitive and incisive.”

Catherine Grinyer
Director of Policy and Communications

Background

As the Employers’ Forum on Disability celebrated its 20-year anniversary its leadership took the decision, following feedback from its members, to reposition the organisation to make clearer the breadth of its abilities. The organisation was uniquely placed to advise members on disability as it pertains to the whole of business, not just employment issues. Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty and increasing competition for share of clients’ budget, the time was right for the Employers’ Forum on Disability to expand their remit to help businesses gain access to the widest possible talent and customer base.

Challenge

The first hurdle was the name; Employers’ spoke directly to talent acquisition and employee retention, but was not perceived to encompass customers or supply chain. It was important to evolve the reputation of the Employers’ Forum on Disability without losing the equity that had been so carefully built.

This had implications for the logo and identity, which came across as dated, for the brand architecture and messaging which was complex.

The website lacked a clear message, was difficult to navigate and manage.

A review of marketing and communications established that there was little being done to attract new members and that retention and reputational work was patchy. Activity driven marketing was making it difficult to make budget investment decisions and assess impact.

There was very limited budget to invest and a tight timeline for implementation.

Solution

Following leadership engagement and stakeholder testing the recommended name was Business Disability Forum, with the brand positioning ‘building disability-smart organisations’. We defined a brand architecture and naming strategy to help the organisation make sense of the sub-brands, products and services. For the first time the leadership defined the values with which they undertook their work. The Board hailed the strategy we defined for them as “world-class”.

The offer was restructured to bring clarity for members of what products and services were available to them and what was in development.

Marketing shifted from focusing on short-term activities to long-term programmes with measurable objectives. This not only made communications more coherent and consistent but also made resource planning and investment decisions easier.

The messaging was re-written in line with the strategy and staff were trained to give them the confidence to tell the story in their own words.

We defined a new user experience for the website that focused on the audience’s needs and all the copy was rewritten.

We linked the Business Disability Forum into a network of high-quality creative professionals: Studio Blackburn created an outstanding new brand identity and look and feel that brilliantly brought the strategy to life. They also designed and built the new website. Donovan Lambert defined the tone of voice and wrote all the copy. Claire Arroyo advised on photography.

Outcome

Members have given a universally positive response to the repositioning of the Employers’ Forum on Disability to the Business Disability Forum. The Board are united in their support and employees are re-energised and enthusiastic about the future. The anticipated outcome is an increase in awareness and uplift in membership.

Susan Scott-Parker OBE Founder & CEO Business Disability Forum said:

“Fairley & Associates knew what we were about from the beginning; enabling business to access the widest talent and customer base. Rachel and I worked closely on the rebranding; her expertise and experience enabled me and my team to chart a clear course from being Employers' Forum on Disability to becoming Business Disability Forum. I particularly valued Rachel's direct and no-nonsense working style, she also has a talent for quickly establishing what really matters and what does not. Thanks to Rachel and her team, we have launched a new brand that enables us to get on with the job of supporting businesses to become disability-smart without our old name getting in the way.”

Susan Scott-Parker OBE,
Founder and CEO

What we did...

“Fairley & Associates vision and experience has been key
to the success of this project. It would not have happened without them.”

Julia Henniker-Heaton
Director, International brand and marketing

Challenge

BDO, the fifth largest accountancy network in the world, invited
Fairley & Associates to advise them on the most appropriate brand
and communications strategy to support the next phase in their development.

Solution

Fairley & Associates worked collaboratively with BDO to evolve the brand strategy accompanying the network’s move to a single global trading name.
Building on BDO’s promise of client proximity, the brand is now encapsulated
in the idea ‘what matters to you, matters to us’, in that the network strives
to provide the best possible advice and professional service.

We guided BDO through a competitive pitch process and design development. Greentarget rose to the challenge of evolving the identity to express the brand idea, while retaining existing brand equity. Our associate photographic consultant Claire Arroyo, custom built BDO’s new image bank, sourcing images and handling negotiations with all suppliers.

Together with BDO, Fairley & Associates worked through the complex implications of global implementation. Every step was made simple and each member firm in every country was provided with complete implementation guidance. We developed a phased approach for internal engagement and external communications.
To ensure both consistency worldwide and ease of local adaptation, we created complete kits with everything from podcasts to posters and presentations to press releases.

Every country was fully equipped to reposition BDO in its market in just six months, exceeding all expectations of what had been envisaged possible within the timeframe and budget.

Outcome

By January 2010 the network will have adopted a single trading name, BDO, dropping local member firm suffixes in all 110 countries. The refreshed brand complementing this change demonstrates the organisation’s international capabilities and strength as an integrated global accountancy network
delivering informed, consistent and quality advice worldwide.

“Fairley & Associates approach was both strategic and pragmatic. Its collaborative ‘virtual team’ approach worked seamlessly with our in house team and provided us with additional expertise in an effective and integrated manner.
This enabled us to refresh our brand from within, rather than have it refreshed for us.”

Jeremy Newman
CEO, International brand and marketing

What we did...

Click here to read case study of Rachel Fairley’s previous BDO work.

Case Study
Press Release

“Fairley & Associates offers our business a unique combination of strategic thinking and pragmatic delivery. They have quickly understood our challenges and been spot on every time. Moreover, they have been really committed to and – dare I say – passionate about our progress, going the extra mile, sometimes working weekends, to meet tight deadlines. I highly recommend working with Fairley & Associates whether you are an established or new business.”

Danièle Kenna Scialom
UK Country Manager

Challenge

Actualize are new to the UK market, providing clients with an innovative direct channel of customer communication and serving over 10 million end-users with technology peace of mind. The business has already enjoyed success across mainland Europe and Latin America. The challenge was how to quickly build reputation with priority prospective clients to support sales.

Solution

As strategic marketing advisor, Fairley & Associates provides advice on tap, supporting the UK managing director in daily marketing decision making.

We worked collaboratively with the Actualize to build a decisive and pragmatic marketing strategy and plan for their entry into the UK market.

The brand strategy drew on local market insight to adapt the existing international brand so that it was more relevant.

The plan identified the most effective channels of communication and focused on a few high impact communications and sponsorships aimed directly at the priority industries.

Industry specific messaging was developed to tailor communications to meet stakeholder expectations and needs.

Fairley & Associates’ daily work focuses on all the UK’s campaigns and events.
We advise Actualize on how to get the most from their sponsorships to generate sales leads. We wrote and design directed the sales toolkit, which includes leaflets, handwritten letters, advertising and a master client presentation

Outcome

Actualize has quickly become well known in its primary target industry of insurance and has a ‘hot’ sales pipeline. Unique visitors to the UK website have doubled. Headquarters are delighted with progress that has been made in the first year.
Watch this space!

What we did...

Case Study

Strong relationships with your clients can get in the way of good business.

They like you. That only makes it harder to be honest with you about how you are performing. Especially when their bosses aren't happy. Easier just to quietly look around for a new agency. And tell you when it is a done deal; "thank you, you've been great, but we're moving on."

Put in place an early warning system to assess the opinions of all stakeholders across your accounts and monitor your revenue streams in real time. It'll give you a deeper understanding of what makes your clients' tick, and not tick. You'll be poised to recover when the inevitable happens (we're all human) and celebrate when you wow them.

It won't be budget that stands in your way, it'll be attitude. Take £20 a month from those waste-of-money annual satisfaction surveys that give you limited insight, after the fact, that you never quite get round to implementing. You'll have to be an agency that embraces innovation to make this highly visible commitment to service.

Let us help you become a truly customer service focused organisation by adopting Customer Thermometer. It will enable you to ask your clients what they think of your products and service in real time. It is a one-click feedback system that is light touch (responding is easier than deleting the email). The tool will chart and graph the results for you and allow you to interrogate the data in a number of ways. However, as with many things in life, the real power lies in what you do with the information.

For a fixed price Fairley & Associates can help you get set up quickly by:

• defining the service level agreement and consider the implications,
• running a beta test,
• drafting all content,
• briefing your staff,
• analysing the results.

Never lose a client again.
Unless you want to.

Rose-tinted challenges

UK digital and design agencies are facing a second year of talent exodus. Last year 56% of respondents to our Design Industry Voices survey were intending to leave their agency. These were not idle threats; in our 2011 survey 35% had been in their job less than a year. In the next twelve months 58% are intending to change employer. It is time for the industry to take this seriously.

The impact of churn

Churn has far reaching consequences that SMEs can ill afford in this uncertain economy. It impacts on reputation, profitability, quality of work, client and talent retention and acquisition.

Recruitment demands senior management time, fees, and further investment to train new employees on the agency’s approach and knowledge of its clients’ businesses. Over half (58%) of respondents told us their agency is employing less permanent staff, 43% that they are using more unpaid interns and 55% that they are using more freelancers. Is it any wonder that 32% say that the quality of work has declined?

Clients get nervous when the ‘A’ team pitches but an unstable ‘B’ team delivers.
And feeling that you aren’t on the ‘A’ team is demotivating, giving employees another reason to consider leaving.

This uncertainty can encourage clients to put their account out to pitch again.
Add to this that respondents say clients are expecting more work in pitches for free (71%) and once you’ve won the account more work for less money (85%). One agency owner told us “Yes, budgets are killing us, everyone wants something for nothing and without good reason and if you don’t agree they all go elsewhere.” There is “too much competition. Little opportunity” said one designer.

The movement of people between agencies can make or break reputation through word of mouth. This is increasingly true as a growing number of respondents are using the social web to talk about their professional experiences (30% in 2011, up from 19% in 2009).

Clients asking for safer work (54% of respondents) will do nothing to enhance an agency’s (or the client’s own) reputation as being at the forefront of innovation.
An account manager explained “There are a lot of clients demanding that something is just done the way they want despite expert opinion to the contrary… It seems lost that the clients are in fact employing experts for the skills they have and subjective feelings on the value of the work can dominate the management of project and dilute the end result.”

Safer solutions may not achieve the client’s business objectives. One design director pointed out: “It’s increasingly being dumbed down and made more obvious and commercial as the clients are frightened to try anything new. They tend to patronize the audience and don’t assume that the consumer can pick up on edgy subtleties.”

A rose-tinted challenge

Agency leaders are wearing rose-tinted glasses. Owners are consistently more likely to rate their agency’s performance higher than their employees. This may be helpful if they are to successfully lead their agency through the economic downturn and back to prosperity, but they should be aware that their employees do not share their perceptions of agency performance.

Respondents rate ‘has management team that demonstrates strong leadership skills’ as the agency attribute with the second highest delivery gap: -53% in 2011, and -48% in 2010. (The delivery gap is the difference between the perceived importance of an agency attribute and the perception of how well the respondent’s agency actually performs against that attribute.)

Perceived agency performance is getting worse: there is too much poor leadership, that doesn’t value ideas and opinions, and fails to reward people for going the extra mile when there are excessively high workloads relative to staffing levels. Fewer staff than ever expect their agency to be a brand that is compatible with their own values.

Agencies appear to be running on empty, with staff engagement at an all time low. What are digital and design agency leaders going to do about this?

A return to middle management

Elizabeth is an agency entrepreneur. An account director, she steers her agency and client team, always delivering innovative, creative, business results focused work.
She is a middle manager: no responsibility for running the agency, total responsibility for her client’s satisfaction. Elizabeth is tenacious, she invests budgets as if the money were her own, worries about billability and profitability of the agency, is confident advising business leaders, and is a natural ‘farmer’ and business developer.
A wordsmith, she always pushes studio to innovate creatively and knows when to nurture and when to begin again. Elizabeth knows the value of ideas and she doesn’t like giving them away for free.

If we can put that entrepreneurial spirit possessed by so many agency leaders and managers at the heart of the business we may yet find a way to stop the exodus.

It is time for a return to middle management. Middle managers have daily contact with clients, lead the agency team, manage the budgets and produce work that can make an agency’s reputation. They are the future leaders.

With middle management as the agency’s driving force, it’s easer to focus on profitability and engagement.

Teach managers how to increase billability and usage rates, reduce investment from overspend on pitches and projects. Improve their negotiation skills.
Stop over-delivering in ways that the client doesn’t notice and instead make one-off investments in additional work that is groundbreaking, setting a new tone.

Give managers responsibility for the resourcing budget on their project so that they can staff up appropriately and allocate manageable workloads. Stop promising to clients more than your people can deliver during a normal working day for the budget. Take a percentage of the project profitability and allocate it to managers to use as a team bonus for outstanding work and for seeing the project through, helping increase quality and reduce churn.

When I see Elizabeth, or any of the other great senior or director level account managers, designers and strategists at work, it makes me wonder why we have executive teams. How are they helping if they are failing to lead, don’t listen to ideas and opinions, fail to reward people for going the extra mile, or ensure that workloads are acceptable? Here’s one way to save money - a slimmed down executive team and an empowered middle management.

Whatever you think of my ideas, this is an industry wide problem and it is time for fresh thinking and action.

Rachel Fairley
MD, Fairley & Associates

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Agencies face second year of talent exodus

A sense of gloom hangs over small business owners as they make their turkey sandwiches this week. With the Euro crisis dragging on, the Chancellor’s latest credit easing initiatives still to be felt, and official unemployment figures at 2.64 million, the highest since 1994, many will be reaching for another glass of sherry just to drown out the recent memory of their struggles in 2011 and the forecasts they’ve read for 2012.

Economists at global banking giant Standard Chartered say the UK economy is likely to be in recession going into 2012, eventually recovering in the second half of the year. It feels like the tough times for small businesses have already lasted years, but with public sector clients experiencing cuts that will accelerate from next April, and Standard Chartered forecasting 1.5 per cent growth in 2013, the belt tightening is here to stay.

Many are simply adapting to the new economic reality. I’ve been surveying people working in digital and design agencies about the economic outlook for three years now, and it is striking the way that the longest UK recession in history has changed the culture of an industry based on pitching for business, piece meal contracts and unpaid interns.

Agency leaders are facing a second year of talent exodus. In the next twelve months 58% of respondents are intending to change employer. Churn has far reaching consequences that SMEs can ill afford in this uncertain economy. It impacts on reputation, profitability, quality of work, client and talent retention and acquisition.

Recruiter Karina Beasley of Gabriele Skelton says: “high staff turn-over means extra costs. Finding and recruiting new staff, then inducting them and getting them up to speed to take over accounts all adds to costs and eats into margins. In the current jobs market, agencies that advertise are being swamped with applications meaning that short-listing takes far longer than it used to and candidates rarely get feedback and often do not even have their applications acknowledged.

Too many are relying on freelancers and unpaid interns. Over half (58%) of respondents told us their agency is employing less permanent staff, 43% that they are using more unpaid interns and 55% that they are using more freelancers. Is it any wonder that 32% say that the quality of work has declined?

Stef Brown, MD of On Pointe Marketing, says: “clients are increasingly nervous that the ‘A’ team pitched, but an unstable ‘B’ team are delivering. And feeling like you aren’t on the ‘A’ team is demotivating, giving employees another reason to consider leaving. Not only this, but producing creative work for free during pitches means agencies are giving away their most valuable commodity: their intellectual property.
I can't think of any other professional services business where this is tolerated, or even considered an option."

Not only do respondents say clients are expecting more work in pitches for free (71%) but that once you’ve won the account more work for less money (85%). One agency owner told us “Yes, budgets are killing us, everyone wants something for nothing and without good reason and if you don’t agree they all go elsewhere.” One designer said there is “too much competition. Little opportunity.”

The movement of people between agencies can make or break reputation through word of mouth. This is increasingly true as a growing number of respondents are using the social web to talk about their professional experiences (30.4% in 2011,
up from 19% in 2009).

Clients asking for safer work (54% of respondents) will do nothing to enhance an agency’s (or the client’s own) reputation as being at the forefront of innovation.
Safer solutions may not achieve the client’s business objectives. One design director pointed out: “It’s increasingly being dumbed down and made more obvious and commercial as the clients are frightened to try anything new. They tend to patronize the audience and don’t assume that the consumer can pick up on edgy subtleties.”

The good news is agency leaders are still wearing their rose-tinted glasses, perceiving their company’s performance higher than their employees. This may be helpful if they are to successfully lead their agency through the economic downturn and back to prosperity, but they should be aware that their employees do not share their point of view. Staff perceive agency performance is getting worse: there is too much poor leadership, that doesn’t value ideas and opinions, and fails to reward people for going the extra mile when there are excessively high workloads relative to staffing levels.

Agencies appear to be running on empty, with staff engagement at an all-time low. Lets hope that the entrepreneurial spirit possessed by so many small business leaders can be reinvigorated at the heart of the agency, so that we may yet find a way to stop the exodus and find a path to growth.

Rachel Fairley
MD, Fairley & Associates

Wishful thinking from a business developer

Most people that know me for even a short while see that I’m a pretty action-oriented person – someone that loves lists and getting things done. So you’d think New Year’s Day and all the hoo-hah around making resolutions was made for someone like me. But I have a confession to make. I despise New Year’s resolutions. I don’t like the premise that I should resolve to change things on just one special day of the year.
I can’t remember the last time I made one nor can I recall the last time I actually stuck to one.

But observations about business development, based on this year’s Design Industry Voices results, have spurred me into action. What follows are not so much my own resolutions but my top three wishes for agencies to abide by in 2012 – new ways to think about business development.

1. Stop free pitching - and ask to be paid

71% of the survey’s respondents said that clients expect more work in pitches for free. Just because clients expect free pitching doesn’t mean agencies need to abide by it. Producing creative work for free during pitches means agencies are giving away their most valuable commodity: their intellectual property. I can’t think of any other services business where this is tolerated, or even considered an option. Can you imagine asking a plumber to renovate your bathroom, but you’ll only pay for their time if you’re happy with their work?

My plea to agencies? Refuse to free pitch. Educate clients and prospects about why free pitching won’t benefit their business. If enough agencies take a stand and stop this practice, clients will follow suit. And have the courage to actually ask to be paid.
I worked at a branding consultancy for several years where I was the first point of contact for new business enquiries. Every time a prospective or existing client suggested that creative work might be involved in the pitch, I immediately asked what sort of pitch fee they were planning to pay to agencies, as if it was natural to be paid in such circumstances. Clients would pay up a fairly significant amount almost all the time – and sometimes only to my agency. Simply because we weren’t afraid to ask.

2. Focus on existing clients

Developing the new business pipeline is an expensive proposition for agencies.
And so is pitching. I’ve witnessed agencies spending £25,000 in time to win new business pitches to the value of £20,000. And this isn’t a one-off. Even the most mathematically challenged can see that these numbers simply don’t stack up.

A study from Harvard Business School found that it’s 11x easier to win business from existing clients. That same study found that committed clients translate directly into profit – every 10% more apostles you have correlates into 20% more profit.
Whilst new business can be an exciting proposition for agencies, the wise decision is to spend more time focusing on existing client development.

My plea to agencies? Start changing your culture from one of new business to one of client development. Invest the time to really get to know what your clients think of you, conduct regular annual satisfaction surveys with them, develop business development action plans for each of your clients, figure out how to widen your influence at your clients’ organisations, set up tangible business objectives and most importantly, create a mechanism to reward and recognise your people for delivering on those objectives in the same way you probably already do for new business.

3. Payments by results – the way forward

Over four fifths of Design Industry Voices 2011 respondents agree that clients expect more work for less money and that client budgets have been reduced. Given this, you’d think that clients would jump at the chance of any arrangement that gives them a reduced up-front fee. Payment by results (PBR) does just this. With a bit of thought, effort and willingness to take a long-term view, PBR can promote increased trust and accountability between agencies and their clients, it puts the relationship on a sounder commercial basis and should position the agency as true business partner rather than just a supplier.

My plea to agencies? Choose a couple of clients and discuss the possibility of working out a payment by results deal with them. Make sure they understand that PBR doesn’t equal discount, be clear about success criteria and set out ways to evaluate/measure those criteria.

My promise to agencies? As a concession to my natural resistance to making resolutions myself, if agencies resolve to make some of these changes, I’ll do my damndest to help them along the way towards achieving these things.

Stef Brown
MD, On Pointe Marketing

Lessons for a squeezed industry

Never a day goes by when I am not aware of the unique perspective that we recruiters have about the digital and design industry. We sit tightly sandwiched between the agencies and the candidates. The nature of our personal relationships often changes, as our clients become job seekers, and then clients again.

The insight gleaned from a recruiter’s role was the seed of inspiration for the Design Industry Voices survey, now in its third year. I wanted to understand whether what I was hearing, seeing and feeling was more than just my personal experience and intuition. Every year I learn a little more about the experiences of the people with whom I work from the survey. This helps me do my job a little better. Here are the lessons I’ve drawn this year.

Staff engagement is at an all-time low, with more than 58% of respondents intending to change job in the next twelve months. This will hit agencies’ bottom lines hard. Hiring new people costs agencies in terms of money and time, whether it’s in the form of recruiter fees, incentive payments to staff that introduce new hires, or simply the cost in billable time of induction. All this, while being squeezed by clients who are expecting more work in pitches for free (71%) and, once you’ve won the account, more work for less money (85%). What is an agency leader to do?

Employees are asking their senior team to demonstrate strong leadership. “They care most about their ideas and opinions being valued, being part of a team, doing stimulating work, and being rewarded for going the extra mile,” explained Design Industry Voices report author Rachel Fairley. It’s worth noting that ‘having good pay and benefits package’ was the 12th most important attribute out of 15 attributes;
this is not about money, employees understand these are tough times.

There are inexpensive ways to improve an agency’s perceived performance in these areas.

How about ‘lunch and learns’ with pizza each month to show off the great work being done and the people doing it? Or sending people home early to say thank you after long days’ getting a project finished? “Harnessing the wealth of inspiration from your employees may be as simple as making time to listen and help them understand how they can go about implementing their ideas. And not forgetting to say “thank you”, privately and publically.” suggests Stef Brown, MD of On Pointe Marketing.

It’s also important that employees realise that their experiences are part of an industry-wide challenge. The grass is not necessarily greener. Leadership can come from any role at any level. Why not help your leaders understand what a difference your idea could make to clients, to yourself and to the bottom line? And then offer to help get it implemented. Employees can help create the culture they want from within.

For those on my side of the table, the anecdotal evidence from the survey of the huge number of candidates, the paucity of roles, and the issues with communication are familiar. We must continue to do all we can to support clients and candidates with the utmost professionalism. Our business is one of chemistry, of matchmaking the right candidate with the right agency to create something new.

If we all play our part we can help stop the exodus of talent and focus on growth.

Karina Beasley
MD, Gabriele Skelton

Hiring the right strategic and creative agency isn’t easy.
Here is some advice on how businesses can find the
perfect partner.

1. Do your homework

Don’t just consider your usual agencies. Find out which agencies are leading their field and most respected by their peers. Make a longlist in order of preference.
Decide how many agencies you want to ask for pitch; but don’t ask any more than five.

Plan the process, which should take about four weeks start to finish:

• You need a week to write the brief and selection criteria and secure internal sign off
• Agree who will be on your pitch panel: make sure you get a variety
  of experience, knowledge, ages and nationalities. If you have any important dissenters, make them part of the process. Secure their time
• Allow a few days to speak to the agencies to secure their commitment to pitch, then get confidentiality agreements signed
• Send them the brief
• Allow a minimum of two weeks for the agency to prepare, with a briefing meeting or call in the first few days
• Let the agency send you a draft proposal to review mid-way through
  the process to ensure they are on the right track
• Get the agency to send you their final proposal a few days before the pitch
  so your team has time to review it
• Don’t have any more than four two hour pitches per day
• Spend two hours after all the pitches are complete discussing and coming
  to a decision as a panel
• Notify the agencies of your decision
• Finalise contacts and terms and conditions.

2. Creative or no creative

The biggest dilemma at this stage is whether to ask for actual strategy or creative in the pitch. My advice is always no.

Part of the joy of working with external experts is to be part of the research, strategy and creative process. Without you, they have no real insider business expert on their team. They will work intensively on producing work, investing emotional energy on something that may or may not meet your stakeholder’s needs. You’ll find it hard not to react subjectively as you’ll have no real strategic criteria to judge their work against and they’ll no longer be fresh when it comes
to starting at the beginning again.

It is also a huge investment for an agency to produce actual work when they have a 20% chance of being selected. If you want strategy or creative work at pitch then pay a contribution towards it. The DBA’s code of conduct expressly forbids its members to pitch creative for free.

Instead, ask them to demonstrate their strategic and creative thinking
by showing examples of relevant work for previous or existing clients.
Hear how they think and what sort of process they have. Be clear that you would like some insights into your challenge and that any sketched ideas, rather than fully designed solutions, are welcome.

In this tough market most agencies will over deliver.

3. Write a really good brief

Be as clear and honest as you can. Use normal language, not pseudo business speak or in house acronyms.

Make sure the brief answers as many questions as you can:

• The business context driving change
• Why you are doing this now
• Who and what you are looking for from an agency
• Your selection criteria
• Pitch timings
• Key project milestones and timings
• Where you will be holding the pitch
• Who the decision makers and influencers are in the process;
  roles and responsibilities
• How you will measure the success of the work
• The budget (see below).

Demand that the pitch team is the actual team with whom you will work.
Agencies often field pitch teams consisting of highly polished, well rehearsed performers who are masters in the art of persuasion, but who may not work directly with you once appointed. Only the best agencies field your actual team, trusting that experience will win the day even if they aren’t the best presenters.

It is always simplest to give a ballpark budget, otherwise you may have to ask agencies to re-scope and rewrite their proposals. This is a complete waste of time and will significantly delay your ability to appoint an agency. If you can’t because you need their guidance on what would be reasonable, then make sure you discuss indicative budgets on the briefing call (see below).

Ask for the proposal a few days in advance of the pitch so you have time to read
it and prepare questions to ask at the pitch. Don’t eliminate an agency based
on their proposal unless it is clearly a copy and paste or doesn’t remotely
answer your brief. Remember fees can always be negotiated.

Agencies will want to know who they are pitching against so that they can work hard to differentiate themselves from the competition. I have never heard
a good reason why this a bad idea, so give them the information.

4. Conflict and confidentiality

You are now ready to call (not email) the agency’s managing director
or new business leader and ask them confidentially if they would like
to be considered for pitch.

Find out if they have any conflicts of interests that may eliminate them.
Tread a fine line on what would be considered a real conflict if you want
to work with an agency with relevant industry experience. But do remember
that even with the best intentions, it is really hard to have effective
‘Chinese walls’ within an agency.

If any agencies eliminate themselves because of conflicts then ask the next one
on your longlist. You now have your shortlist.

Email a confidentiality agreement to entitle them to receive the brief.
Remember, the agency community is small and tends to drink in the same pubs as industry journalists so you’ll have to go to great lengths for the trade press not to hear about it. If you want to control this, offer to work with the agencies
on a news release about the appointment once a decision has been made,
even if you have to be vague about the nature of the project.

5. Chemistry meetings

The recent trend to have pre-pitch chemistry meetings is a big mistake because
it places emphasis on vague and subjective criteria. Chemistry is important,
but all too often it is cited as the number one selection criteria. Don’t hire them just because you like them, but because they are the best in their field that you can afford and have shown their ability to deliver success for previous clients.

6. Q&A

Put your time and effort instead into spending an hour with each agency,
preferably face to face but otherwise by telephone, so that they can ask questions to make sure they have everything they need to know to shine in their proposal and pitch.

Don’t take a short cut and do it as a group call because the agencies will be afraid to ask any questions which might give others competitive advantage,
becoming a waste of everyone’s time.

To be fair, make sure it is the same person does all the briefings so agencies get roughly the same information.

Use any insights you have gleaned from how they handled the call to shape
your questions in the pitch.

7. Decision making criteria

From your brief, write your selection criteria, so that everyone on your panel
has the opportunity to evaluate as consistently and objectively as possible.
Here are some suggestions:

Credentials:

• Does the agency and specifically the people who will be on your team
  have relevant industry and project experience?
• Is this the pitch team or the actual team? Is it the same team at pitch
  as outlined in the proposal?

Strategic and creative thinking:

• Have they done their homework on you, your market and the challenges
  and opportunities you face?
• Do they have a credible point of view on your challenges?
• Does their creative work (for other clients) express a ‘big idea’?
• Is their strategic and creative thinking original? Probe their case studies.

Implementation:

• What testing do they recommend and how would they go about it?
• What partners would they work with?
• Where does their expertise start and end? Can they take you right
  through implementation?

Project management:

• Do you trust them to deliver?
• Is their proposal bespoke, comprehensive and clear?
• Have they provided a detailed timeline?
• Are they within your budget range?
• Can they offer you a discount for volume, visibility or value?

Chemistry:

• Do you think you can work with them every day to deliver what you need?

8. The pitch

You need a big room with space around the walls for anything the agency
wishes to display, as well as a good screen and projector for them to show
their presentation.

Make sure they have at least 30 minutes set up time on their own and run
the pitches as promptly as possible.

The presentation should last no more than an hour and a half, allowing you thirty minutes to have a conversation and ask each other questions. It does sound like
a long time but agencies put a lot of effort into pitching and it isn’t often you get
to spend time with experts who have an opinion on the market and your business,
so make the most of it.

Make sure each panellist captures his or her thoughts on the criteria sheet
so you can have a constructive conversation once you’ve met all the agencies.

9. The decision

Make a choice while the pitches are fresh. Talk through each one in turn to make sure that last is not best just because it is freshest in you mind. Be as objective
as you can.

Once you’ve made your choice call each agency to let them know your decision and give them honest feedback on their pitch. They have made a significant investment pitching and will appreciate understanding how they might improve their approach in the future. Start with the winning agency but don’t put off having to share the bad news with the others. You never know when you might need them.

Rachel Fairley
MD, Fairley & Associates

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Fifteen minutes of fame – that’s what Andy promised us.
But he neglected to include a vital warning: when your big moment arrives, you might be the last to hear about it.

One warm evening last July, I was walking past my local newsstand on the way home. I glanced at the main stories – most often, it’s the Evening Standard that
can grab me with some wild headline. This particular time, they outdid themselves. Their headline was about me.

Well, not about me personally, but about a one-minute film clip I’d shot, posted online for a few friends, and then promptly forgotten. “Bin Man ‘Ziggy Dust’”,
shouted the newspaper, “Spins and Twirls his Way to Internet Stardom.”

How on earth had my grainy sixty-seconds ended up all over the net,
and the headlines? I stood there in the middle of the pavement, trying to piece together how this could possibly have happened.

It had all started just two weeks earlier, while having tea with my Gen Whatever siblings. We’d noticed a street sweeper – how could we miss him? – turning his humble profession into a full-on Fred Astaire musical. My sibs gathered, smiling,
as I filmed this little miracle, and replayed it on my camera. They insisted I post
it on YouTube right away. Now here I was, glued to the pavement days later,
the last person to learn that my film had become famous. Why hadn’t anyone
told me?!

For one thing, because every time I launch a viral campaign, it’s part of a brand strategy, not by chance. But this time, it was my accidental launch that was taking off like a rocket. If my little film was going to benefit its anonymous star,
I had to move even faster. Executing a spin worthy of Ziggy the street sweeper,
I headed towards my office at a run. From somewhere beyond the grave,
I could hear Andy clicking his stopwatch: “Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…”

Breathless, I burst in and went directly to the source of all the trouble:
the internet. Sure enough, the Evening Standard’s website led with the Ziggy story, linking directly to my video. What would the dancing street sweeper say about having been filmed – and turned into a star – without his permission?

To find out, I’d need to find him first. As I quickly discovered, that wasn’t going to be easy. Ziggy had no phone listing and, except for a certain sixty seconds of video and a comment in a local community chat room, no obvious presence
on the web.

To catch a pre-digital man, use a pre-digital strategy: I walked his street
cleaning route the next day, asking the local merchants if they could hand
a note to the dancing street sweeper. Everyone knew exactly who I was talking about.

While I waited impatiently for Ziggy to resurface, his YouTube popularity continued to skyrocket. What began with a few of my friends had gone global, with internet, newspaper and television coverage all driving each other.
Online hits leapt from thousands to a quarter million and showed no sign
of peaking.

Now, a year later, I see how important it was that I responded when that wave was still beginning its swell. It was the green grocer who put Ziggy and I in touch, early enough for us to claim the content and develop a strategy for harnessing it.
As hits began to approach half a million, we sold the rights to an advertising agency, who wanted the footage to sustain another media brand.

In addition to payment, Ziggy and I added one condition: the ad agency had
to donate £1000 to the charity of our choice. We did this, in part,
because of Ziggy’s experience with both the positive and negative sides of internet stardom. In addition to autograph requests and guest DJ appearances,
he had to contend with vandalism along his cleaning route, and an attack by thugs from the National Front.  So our choice was easy: our fifteen minutes
of fame would also support Amnesty International.

What to do when you’re in the glare of stardom 2.0?

Every case is unique, but as with all brand management, it’s best to prepare
as well as respond. Here are my top five suggestions:

1. Establish your rights

Even though some new media channels claim to exist entirely in the public domain, claim your content. Future dividends depend upon it. I was advised
to use a fake screen name when posting the video on YouTube. My instinct to use my real name instead turned out to be essential later, in claiming and managing rights to the material.

2. Manage long term value

As author William Gibson famously observed, the internet was an accident.
The military think-tank that invented it never dreamed it would become
the open, global network we use today. This law of unintended consequences applies equally to internet content. Manage and index your archived content knowing that its future value may depend on uses you can’t foresee.
The Discovery Channel has only recently discovered how valuable those uses are.

3. Deploy an early warning system

Which portions of today’s content will be tomorrow’s revenue streams?
The first step towards tracking future value is simple and free.
Use Google.com/alerts or one of several other free services to notify you
every time your name, brand, or teatime videos are mentioned on the internet.

4: Sustain momentum

The power of Web 2.0 is that a grainy video could catapult Ziggy Dust from zero to hero in two weeks. The power of branding is that a launch, whether planned
or accidental, can be managed to become more sustainable.

5: Know when to relinquish control

Viruses mutate. So do viral campaigns. As a marketer who prefers to tightly manage brands and budgets, I had to overcome my natural resistance
to hundreds of strangers editing my video, adding music, and reposting
it worldwide. Effective brand management of Web 2.0 means understanding which channels you can control and which are valuable enough to accept
the risks of consumer interaction, excitement and fame.

Rachel Fairley
MD, Fairley & Associates

See original film
You can also Google ‘Billy Clean’ or ‘Ziggy Dust’ to read related articles.

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Design agency staff ready to quit
Disability a 'blind' spot for design and digital agencies

The number of staff working in digital and design agencies intending to move job next year is at a four year high, according to a new report published 7 January 2013.

The Design Industry Voices report by Fairley & Associates, Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing is now in its fourth year and shows how small firms have suffered during the ongoing economic crisis. It reveals increasing instability with fewer permanent staff, more freelancers, more unpaid interns and agencies being asked by clients to do more work for less money.

The annual survey - of almost 500 agency staff - paints a picture of the squeeze experienced by small firms during the UK's double dip back into recession this year.

• Almost nine out of ten (87%) say that clients expect more work for less money
• Eight out of ten (80%) say client budgets have been reduced
• Seven out of ten (70%) say clients expect more work in pitches for free
• Almost two thirds say agencies are employing fewer permanent staff (61%), using more freelancers (66%) and more than two fifths are using more unpaid interns (41%)

Agencies are experiencing more staff turnover than ever, since the recession began in 2008:

• More than half (59%) of staff intend to change job in the next twelve months
• More than a third (34%) have been with their agency less than a year
• More than a third (35%) are writing their personal thoughts about work on blogs and social networking sites, almost twice as many as four years ago

Businesses and design agencies are also failing to seize the opportunity of the 'Blue Pound'. They are not designing websites or communications to be accessible to people with disabilities. 10 million disabled people live in the UK with a combined annual spending power in excess of £80 billion - the Blue Pound.*

• Less than one in ten (9%) say that clients ask for all designs to be accessible to people with disabilities
• Fewer than a quarter (21.9%) agree that clients ask for website designs to be accessible to people with disabilities
• Fewer than half (45.7%) agree that they understand how to design in a way that improves accessibility for people with disabilities

Rachel Fairley, lead author of the new research and MD of Fairley & Associates, said:

"Design and digital firms are feeling the squeeze from the UK's double dip into recession during the last year. Businesses are demanding more work from agencies for less money to make up for their budget cuts. They are also demanding safer work and solutions, which will not achieve the business objectives and do nothing to enhance agencies' or clients' reputation as being at the forefront of innovation. The opportunity to address the needs the 10 million disabled people who live in the UK has yet to be seized. Less than one in ten clients ask for designs to be accessible to people with disabilities and less than half of agency staff know how to design in a way that improves accessibility."

Karina Beasley, co-author and MD of Gabriele Skelton, said:

"59% of design and digital agency staff say they are ready to quit. They perceive a crisis of leadership within their agencies, and part of the issue is that owners have a rosier view of agency performance than their staff. The soaring use of freelancers is driving many permanent workers to take contracts, so talent is harder to find. Agencies are busy and there is work out there, but it's definitely a case of 'more for less'. There is a general sense of instability. We hope 2013 will be better as agencies adjust to working with smaller budgets and more smartly. But it's vital that their business strategy is better communicated so that staff know what to expect."

Stef Brown, co-author and MD of On Pointe Marketing, said:

"Seven out of ten say clients expect more work in pitches for free. Social media was rife with free pitch examples in 2012, and some agencies are even beginning to name and shame those brands that are asking for free pitches. Times are tough, and it's all too easy to over-deliver in pitch and give too much away, especially when your peers have jumped on that bandwagon. But consider this – the act of giving Intellectual Property away commoditises services. This undermines clients' appreciation of the value of agency expertise and they then may refuse to pay a premium for those services. If enough agencies take a stand and stop this practice, clients will follow suit."

Further Observations and methodology can be found on the www.designindustryvoices.com website.

Read more by downloading the full report.

Download Design Industry Voices 2012 report

For press enquiries please download the press release and contact Rachel Fairley on +44 (0)7714 098 324 rachel@designindustryvoices.com.

Download Press Release

About us:

Fairley & Associates working in collaboration with Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing.

Gabriele Skelton is a specialist design and digital recruitment agency. We're matchmakers; we connect the right candidate with the right client to create something new.  We love working with creatives, account handlers, consultants and thinkers, techies and developers. It's about making the right connections to get the right reaction - unusual combinations that make the magic happen - that's what we mean by chemistry.

www.gabrieleskelton.com

On Pointe Marketing works with agencies to build external and internal reputation to drive the business development pipeline and retain and attract talent. We create business and brand-led marketing plans and ongoing implementation consultancy. In a world where agencies sometimes wear the worst shorn shoes, On Pointe Marketing is the cobbler.

www.onpointemarketing.com

Third survey finds more staff than ever intend to change job within twelve months. Clients expect more work for less money to make up for budget cuts. Agencies expected to do more work for free to win pitches.

New evidence of the reality of the Britain’s faltering economic recovery emerged today, in a survey which shows that digital and design agencies are increasingly being asked to work for free.

The Design Industry Voices survey is now in its third year and shows how small firms have suffered following the financial crisis, during the recession and the long, slow recovery.

The new survey - of almost 500 agency staff - paints a picture of the squeeze being experienced by small firms in the private sector as public sector budget cuts begin to bite and economic confidence fails to recover.

• More than eight out of ten (85%) say that clients expect more work for less money
• More than seven out of ten (71%) say clients expect more work in pitches for free
• More than eight out of ten (82%) say client budgets have been reduced
• More than half say agencies are employing fewer permanent staff (58%), using more freelancers (55%) and more than two fifths are using more unpaid interns (43%).

The latest UK unemployment figures show that employment growth in the private sector is being far out stripped by job losses in the public sector. Private sector jobs have only risen by 5,000 but public sector jobs lost for the same period are 67,000. Overall, UK unemployment is at its highest level since 1994, at 2.64 million.

Design Industry Voices also shows that agencies are experiencing more staff turnover than ever, since the recession began in 2008:

• More than half (58%) of staff intend to change job in the next twelve months
• More than a third (35%) have been with their agency less than a year.

People working in digital and design agencies say they are feeling the brunt of the long, slow recovery. Fewer than one in five respondents consider that their agency is performing ‘very well’ in respect of ‘helps employees to manage stress’ (12%), ‘rewards people for going the extra mile’ (15%) and provides ‘appropriate workload for staffing levels’ (15%).

Rachel Fairley, lead author of the new research and MD of Fairley & Associates, said: 
“Digital and design agencies appear to be running on empty. Clients expect more work for less money to make up for budget cuts. Staff have disengaged; they are overworked, undervalued, and fed up of poor leadership. More of them than ever intend to change job within twelve months (58%), with far reaching consequences in this uncertain economic climate.”

Karina Beasley, MD of Gabriele Skelton, said: 
“For agencies, a high staff turn-over means extra costs. Finding and recruiting new staff, then inducting them and getting them up to speed to take over accounts all adds to costs and eats into margins. In the current jobs market, agencies that advertise are being swamped with applications meaning that short-listing takes far longer than it used to and candidates rarely get feedback and often do not even have their applications acknowledged.”

Stef Brown, MD of On Pointe Marketing, said:
“Clients are increasingly nervous that the ‘A’ team pitched, but an unstable ‘B’ team are delivering. And feeling like you aren’t on the ‘A’ team is demotivating, giving employees another reason to consider leaving. Not only this, but producing creative work for free during pitches means agencies are giving away their most valuable commodity: their intellectual property. I can't think of any other professional services business where this is tolerated, or even considered an option."

Survey respondents said:

• “Clients want twice as much work for half the money.”
• “Clients want everything done at speed for no money. No time or opportunities for creative input. Demoralising.”
• “I get the sense clients are reining in budgets again with the Euro crisis upon us. Could have an affect over the coming months.”
• “Fear of a double dip recession makes employers less inclined to recruit permanent staff… Maturity and experience seems less valued now. Perhaps because you can pay inexperienced staff much lower rates.”

www.designindustryvoices.com

Read more by downloading the full report.

Download Design Industry Voices 2011 report

For press enquiries please download the press release and contact Rachel Fairley on +44 (0)7714 098 324 rachel@designindustryvoices.com.

Download Press Release

About us:

Fairley & Associates working in collaboration with Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing.

Gabriele Skelton is a specialist design and digital recruitment agency. We're matchmakers; we connect the right candidate with the right client to create something new.  We love working with creatives, account handlers, consultants and thinkers, techies and developers. It's about making the right connections to get the right reaction - unusual combinations that make the magic happen - that's what we mean by chemistry.

www.gabrieleskelton.com

On Pointe Marketing works with agencies to build external and internal reputation to drive the business development pipeline and retain and attract talent. We create business and brand-led marketing plans and ongoing implementation consultancy. In a world where agencies sometimes wear the worst shorn shoes, On Pointe Marketing is the cobbler.

www.onpointemarketing.com

Rose-tinted challenges

UK digital and design agencies are facing a second year of talent exodus. Last year 56% of respondents to our Design Industry Voices survey were intending to leave their agency. These were not idle threats; in our 2011 survey 35% had been in their job less than a year. In the next twelve months 58% are intending to change employer. It is time for the industry to take this seriously.

The impact of churn

Churn has far reaching consequences that SMEs can ill afford in this uncertain economy. It impacts on reputation, profitability, quality of work, client and talent retention and acquisition.

Recruitment demands senior management time, fees, and further investment to train new employees on the agency’s approach and knowledge of its clients’ businesses. Over half (58%) of respondents told us their agency is employing less permanent staff, 43% that they are using more unpaid interns and 55% that they are using more freelancers. Is it any wonder that 32% say that the quality of work has declined?

Clients get nervous when the ‘A’ team pitches but an unstable ‘B’ team delivers.
And feeling that you aren’t on the ‘A’ team is demotivating, giving employees another reason to consider leaving.

This uncertainty can encourage clients to put their account out to pitch again.
Add to this that respondents say clients are expecting more work in pitches for free (71%) and once you’ve won the account more work for less money (85%). One agency owner told us “Yes, budgets are killing us, everyone wants something for nothing and without good reason and if you don’t agree they all go elsewhere.” There is “too much competition. Little opportunity” said one designer.

The movement of people between agencies can make or break reputation through word of mouth. This is increasingly true as a growing number of respondents are using the social web to talk about their professional experiences (30% in 2011,
up from 19% in 2009).

Clients asking for safer work (54% of respondents) will do nothing to enhance an agency’s (or the client’s own) reputation as being at the forefront of innovation.
An account manager explained “There are a lot of clients demanding that something is just done the way they want despite expert opinion to the contrary… It seems lost that the clients are in fact employing experts for the skills they have and subjective feelings on the value of the work can dominate the management of project and dilute the end result.”

Safer solutions may not achieve the client’s business objectives. One design director pointed out: “It’s increasingly being dumbed down and made more obvious and commercial as the clients are frightened to try anything new. They tend to patronize the audience and don’t assume that the consumer can pick up on edgy subtleties.”

A rose-tinted challenge

Agency leaders are wearing rose-tinted glasses. Owners are consistently more likely to rate their agency’s performance higher than their employees. This may be helpful if they are to successfully lead their agency through the economic downturn and back to prosperity, but they should be aware that their employees do not share their perceptions of agency performance.

Respondents rate ‘has management team that demonstrates strong leadership skills’ as the agency attribute with the second highest delivery gap: -53% in 2011, and -48% in 2010. (The delivery gap is the difference between the perceived importance of an agency attribute and the perception of how well the respondent’s agency actually performs against that attribute.)

Perceived agency performance is getting worse: there is too much poor leadership, that doesn’t value ideas and opinions, and fails to reward people for going the extra mile when there are excessively high workloads relative to staffing levels. Fewer staff than ever expect their agency to be a brand that is compatible with their own values.

Agencies appear to be running on empty, with staff engagement at an all time low. What are digital and design agency leaders going to do about this?

A return to middle management

Elizabeth is an agency entrepreneur. An account director, she steers her agency and client team, always delivering innovative, creative, business results focused work.
She is a middle manager: no responsibility for running the agency, total responsibility for her client’s satisfaction. Elizabeth is tenacious, she invests budgets as if the money were her own, worries about billability and profitability of the agency, is confident advising business leaders, and is a natural ‘farmer’ and business developer.
A wordsmith, she always pushes studio to innovate creatively and knows when to nurture and when to begin again. Elizabeth knows the value of ideas and she doesn’t like giving them away for free.

If we can put that entrepreneurial spirit possessed by so many agency leaders and managers at the heart of the business we may yet find a way to stop the exodus.

It is time for a return to middle management. Middle managers have daily contact with clients, lead the agency team, manage the budgets and produce work that can make an agency’s reputation. They are the future leaders.

With middle management as the agency’s driving force, it’s easer to focus on profitability and engagement.

Teach managers how to increase billability and usage rates, reduce investment from overspend on pitches and projects. Improve their negotiation skills. Stop over-delivering in ways that the client doesn’t notice and instead make one-off investments in additional work that is groundbreaking, setting a new tone.

Give managers responsibility for the resourcing budget on their project so that they can staff up appropriately and allocate manageable workloads.
Stop promising to clients more than your people can deliver during a normal working day for the budget. Take a percentage of the project profitability and allocate it to managers to use as a team bonus for outstanding work and for seeing the project through,
helping increase quality and reduce churn.

When I see Elizabeth, or any of the other great senior or director level account managers, designers and strategists at work, it makes me wonder why we have executive teams. How are they helping if they are failing to lead, don’t listen to ideas and opinions, fail to reward people for going the extra mile, or ensure that workloads are acceptable? Here’s one way to save money - a slimmed down executive team and an empowered middle management.

Whatever you think of my ideas, this is an industry wide problem and it is time for fresh thinking and action.

Rachel Fairley
MD, Fairley & Associates

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Agencies face second year of talent exodus

A sense of gloom hangs over small business owners as they make their turkey sandwiches this week. With the Euro crisis dragging on, the Chancellor’s latest credit easing initiatives still to be felt, and official unemployment figures at 2.64 million, the highest since 1994, many will be reaching for another glass of sherry just to drown out the recent memory of their struggles in 2011 and the forecasts they’ve read for 2012.

Economists at global banking giant Standard Chartered say the UK economy is likely to be in recession going into 2012, eventually recovering in the second half of the year. It feels like the tough times for small businesses have already lasted years, but with public sector clients experiencing cuts that will accelerate from next April, and Standard Chartered forecasting 1.5 per cent growth in 2013, the belt tightening is here to stay.

Many are simply adapting to the new economic reality. I’ve been surveying people working in digital and design agencies about the economic outlook for three years now, and it is striking the way that the longest UK recession in history has changed the culture of an industry based on pitching for business, piece meal contracts and unpaid interns.

Agency leaders are facing a second year of talent exodus. In the next twelve months 58% of respondents are intending to change employer. Churn has far reaching consequences that SMEs can ill afford in this uncertain economy. It impacts on reputation, profitability, quality of work, client and talent retention and acquisition.

Recruiter Karina Beasley of Gabriele Skelton says: “high staff turn-over means extra costs. Finding and recruiting new staff, then inducting them and getting them up to speed to take over accounts all adds to costs and eats into margins. In the current jobs market, agencies that advertise are being swamped with applications meaning that short-listing takes far longer than it used to and candidates rarely get feedback and often do not even have their applications acknowledged.

Too many are relying on freelancers and unpaid interns. Over half (58%) of respondents told us their agency is employing less permanent staff, 43% that they are using more unpaid interns and 55% that they are using more freelancers. Is it any wonder that 32% say that the quality of work has declined?

Stef Brown, MD of On Pointe Marketing, says: “clients are increasingly nervous that the ‘A’ team pitched, but an unstable ‘B’ team are delivering. And feeling like you aren’t on the ‘A’ team is demotivating, giving employees another reason to consider leaving. Not only this, but producing creative work for free during pitches means agencies are giving away their most valuable commodity: their intellectual property.
I can't think of any other professional services business where this is tolerated, or even considered an option."

Not only do respondents say clients are expecting more work in pitches for free (71%) but that once you’ve won the account more work for less money (85%). One agency owner told us “Yes, budgets are killing us, everyone wants something for nothing and without good reason and if you don’t agree they all go elsewhere.” One designer said there is “too much competition. Little opportunity.”

The movement of people between agencies can make or break reputation through word of mouth. This is increasingly true as a growing number of respondents are using the social web to talk about their professional experiences (30.4% in 2011, up from 19% in 2009).

Clients asking for safer work (54% of respondents) will do nothing to enhance an agency’s (or the client’s own) reputation as being at the forefront of innovation. Safer solutions may not achieve the client’s business objectives. One design director pointed out: “It’s increasingly being dumbed down and made more obvious and commercial as the clients are frightened to try anything new. They tend to patronize the audience and don’t assume that the consumer can pick up on edgy subtleties.”

The good news is agency leaders are still wearing their rose-tinted glasses, perceiving their company’s performance higher than their employees. This may be helpful if they are to successfully lead their agency through the economic downturn and back to prosperity, but they should be aware that their employees do not share their point of view. Staff perceive agency performance is getting worse: there is too much poor leadership, that doesn’t value ideas and opinions, and fails to reward people for going the extra mile when there are excessively high workloads relative to staffing levels.

Agencies appear to be running on empty, with staff engagement at an all-time low. Lets hope that the entrepreneurial spirit possessed by so many small business leaders can be reinvigorated at the heart of the agency, so that we may yet find a way to stop the exodus and find a path to growth.

Rachel Fairley
MD, Fairley & Associates

Wishful thinking from a business developer

Most people that know me for even a short while see that I’m a pretty action-oriented person – someone that loves lists and getting things done. So you’d think New Year’s Day and all the hoo-hah around making resolutions was made for someone like me. But I have a confession to make. I despise New Year’s resolutions. I don’t like the premise that I should resolve to change things on just one special day of the year.
I can’t remember the last time I made one nor can I recall the last time I actually stuck to one.

But observations about business development, based on this year’s Design Industry Voices results, have spurred me into action. What follows are not so much my own resolutions but my top three wishes for agencies to abide by in 2012 – new ways to think about business development.

1. Stop free pitching - and ask to be paid

71% of the survey’s respondents said that clients expect more work in pitches for free. Just because clients expect free pitching doesn’t mean agencies need to abide by it. Producing creative work for free during pitches means agencies are giving away their most valuable commodity: their intellectual property. I can’t think of any other services business where this is tolerated, or even considered an option. Can you imagine asking a plumber to renovate your bathroom, but you’ll only pay for their time if you’re happy with their work?

My plea to agencies? Refuse to free pitch. Educate clients and prospects about why free pitching won’t benefit their business. If enough agencies take a stand and stop this practice, clients will follow suit. And have the courage to actually ask to be paid.
I worked at a branding consultancy for several years where I was the first point of contact for new business enquiries. Every time a prospective or existing client suggested that creative work might be involved in the pitch, I immediately asked what sort of pitch fee they were planning to pay to agencies, as if it was natural to be paid in such circumstances. Clients would pay up a fairly significant amount almost all the time – and sometimes only to my agency. Simply because we weren’t afraid to ask.

2. Focus on existing clients

Developing the new business pipeline is an expensive proposition for agencies. And so is pitching. I’ve witnessed agencies spending £25,000 in time to win new business pitches to the value of £20,000. And this isn’t a one-off. Even the most mathematically challenged can see that these numbers simply don’t stack up.

A study from Harvard Business School found that it’s 11x easier to win business from existing clients. That same study found that committed clients translate directly into profit – every 10% more apostles you have correlates into 20% more profit.
Whilst new business can be an exciting proposition for agencies, the wise decision is to spend more time focusing on existing client development.

My plea to agencies? Start changing your culture from one of new business to one of client development. Invest the time to really get to know what your clients think of you, conduct regular annual satisfaction surveys with them, develop business development action plans for each of your clients, figure out how to widen your influence at your clients’ organisations, set up tangible business objectives and most importantly, create a mechanism to reward and recognise your people for delivering on those objectives in the same way you probably already do for new business.

3. Payments by results – the way forward

Over four fifths of Design Industry Voices 2011 respondents agree that clients expect more work for less money and that client budgets have been reduced. Given this, you’d think that clients would jump at the chance of any arrangement that gives them a reduced up-front fee. Payment by results (PBR) does just this. With a bit of thought, effort and willingness to take a long-term view, PBR can promote increased trust and accountability between agencies and their clients, it puts the relationship on a sounder commercial basis and should position the agency as true business partner rather than just a supplier.

My plea to agencies? Choose a couple of clients and discuss the possibility of working out a payment by results deal with them. Make sure they understand that PBR doesn’t equal discount, be clear about success criteria and set out ways to evaluate/measure those criteria.

My promise to agencies? As a concession to my natural resistance to making resolutions myself, if agencies resolve to make some of these changes, I’ll do my damndest to help them along the way towards achieving these things.

Stef Brown
MD, On Pointe Marketing

Lessons for a squeezed industry

Never a day goes by when I am not aware of the unique perspective that we recruiters have about the digital and design industry. We sit tightly sandwiched between the agencies and the candidates. The nature of our personal relationships often changes, as our clients become job seekers, and then clients again.

The insight gleaned from a recruiter’s role was the seed of inspiration for the Design Industry Voices survey, now in its third year. I wanted to understand whether what I was hearing, seeing and feeling was more than just my personal experience and intuition. Every year I learn a little more about the experiences of the people with whom I work from the survey. This helps me do my job a little better. Here are the lessons I’ve drawn this year.

Staff engagement is at an all-time low, with more than 58% of respondents intending to change job in the next twelve months. This will hit agencies’ bottom lines hard. Hiring new people costs agencies in terms of money and time, whether it’s in the form of recruiter fees, incentive payments to staff that introduce new hires, or simply the cost in billable time of induction. All this, while being squeezed by clients who are expecting more work in pitches for free (71%) and, once you’ve won the account, more work for less money (85%). What is an agency leader to do?

Employees are asking their senior team to demonstrate strong leadership. “They care most about their ideas and opinions being valued, being part of a team, doing stimulating work, and being rewarded for going the extra mile,” explained Design Industry Voices report author Rachel Fairley. It’s worth noting that ‘having good pay and benefits package’ was the 12th most important attribute out of 15 attributes; this is not about money, employees understand these are tough times.

There are inexpensive ways to improve an agency’s perceived performance in these areas.

How about ‘lunch and learns’ with pizza each month to show off the great work being done and the people doing it? Or sending people home early to say thank you after long days’ getting a project finished? “Harnessing the wealth of inspiration from your employees may be as simple as making time to listen and help them understand how they can go about implementing their ideas. And not forgetting to say “thank you”, privately and publically.” suggests Stef Brown, MD of On Pointe Marketing.

It’s also important that employees realise that their experiences are part of an industry-wide challenge. The grass is not necessarily greener. Leadership can come from any role at any level. Why not help your leaders understand what a difference your idea could make to clients, to yourself and to the bottom line? And then offer to help get it implemented. Employees can help create the culture they want from within.

For those on my side of the table, the anecdotal evidence from the survey of the huge number of candidates, the paucity of roles, and the issues with communication are familiar. We must continue to do all we can to support clients and candidates with the utmost professionalism. Our business is one of chemistry, of matchmaking the right candidate with the right agency to create something new.

If we all play our part we can help stop the exodus of talent and focus on growth.

Karina Beasley
MD, Gabriele Skelton

Design Industry Voices Survey 2010 of UK design and digital agency employees finds 56% intending to change job within a year, as well as a fivefold increase in freelancers.

Do you ever wonder how people in the design industry really think and feel about the agency they work for?

We did. In October 2010 we asked people who work within design or digital agencies to anonymously share their views on how it feels to work within their agencies right now.

The result is the Design Industry Voices Survey 2010 – the second collaboration between Fairley & Associates, Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing.

The headlines

1. Over half of respondents (55.7%) intend to change job within a year, compared to 38.4% last year. There has been a fivefold increase in the number of freelancers since October 2009.
2. Staff are more discriminating about what they expect from their agency than they were in 2009.
3. The perceived delivery gap (the difference between the perceived importance compared to perception of how well an agency currently performs in relation to an agency attribute) has widened over the last year.
4. Age has an impact on what is considered important and how performance is perceived in an agency.
5. Owners and executive team disagree that their agency ‘has good pay and benefits package’.

Here’s what some of the respondents said:

“The industry is under financial pressures and organisations are adding to these by continually undercutting each other. This affects the quality of the work being developed and the well-being of those asked to deliver it. Agencies need to be able to do more with less – completely fair and a widespread occurrence in business. However, firms are not adjusting their processes and approaches to do this – the expectation is that people should just work longer for less. This is an unsustainable approach that is building to latent hostility to employers and causing churn which is exacerbating the original issue. However, large firms, especially those owned by holding companies, seem to care little about the long-term impact and lack of intellectual capital this creates for them.”
Male account manager, aged between 40-49, who has worked on a permanent contract for his current agency for less than four years.

“Does not support women in the workplace; particularly poor conditions and attitude to those with children. A mentality and work ethic that is very 80s/90s, based on sitting at a desk until late (even if work is not being done).
Women (especially mothers) have a strong (if not stronger) work ethic and often work far harder in order to ensure the job is done within the time they have available.
Deeply chauvinistic industry! It is an industry that has few women at the top because of the poor conditions and opportunities for women as they progress, have children etc. Something needs to change.”
Female strategy director, aged between 40-49, who has been with current agency for less than five years on permanent contract.

“I, like many, am considering leaving it after 20 years. I’ve been in middle management for over 7 years, I’ve had no pay rise for 2 years yet my work load has increased 30% in that time, meaning no time to give any of the care it deserves. Everything is rushed and every client still wants more for less. The management at the top still seem to be maintaining their lifestyles at the expense of their staff. Senior management within the industry really need to look at what’s happening beneath them in the majority of SMEs and in the larger agencies, we all know they are certainly not immune from these symptoms even if they profess in the media publications that all is well. We are losing the people with knowledge and practical skills, at the expense of keeping strategy and planning. Who’s going to be left to do the work and pass on knowledge to the next generation if all the production managers, traffic managers, studio managers and account directors that are being pushed further and further leave the business?”
Male production manager, aged between 30-39, who has worked for his agency for less than four years and sometimes writes his thoughts on social networking sites.

www.designindustryvoices.com

Read more by downloading the full report.

Download Design Industry Voices 2010 report

For press enquiries please download the press release and contact Stef Brown on +44 (0)7773 886 543 or stef@onpointemarketing.com.

Download Press Release

About us:

Fairley & Associates working in collaboration with Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing.

Gabriele Skelton is a specialist design and digital recruitment agency.
We're matchmakers; we connect the right candidate with the right client to create something new.  We love working with creatives, account handlers, consultants and thinkers, techies and developers. It's about making the right connections to get the right reaction - unusual combinations that make the magic happen - that’s what we mean by chemistry.

www.gabrieleskelton.com

On Pointe Marketing works with agencies to build external and internal reputation to drive the business development pipeline and retain and attract talent. We create business and brand-led marketing plans and ongoing implementation consultancy.
In a world where agencies sometimes wear the worst shorn shoes, On Pointe Marketing is the cobbler.

www.onpointemarketing.com

In late October 2009 we asked people who work within UK design and digital agencies to anonymously share their views on how it feels to work within their agency right now.

The first Design Industry Voices survey was published in December 2009 by Fairley & Associates, Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing.

We found that 38% of industry employees who responded are planning to leave their agency when market picks up. They voiced their dissatisfaction in their agency’s performance in the areas that matter most to them. Here are the headlines.

1. Day-to-day client satisfaction at risk

38% of employees responsible for day-to-day client satisfaction are planning their exit when the recession ends, with almost three quarters intending to stay in the industry.

36% of directors, 53% of managers and 47% of coordinators and assistants intend to change employer, compared to only 19% of the executive team. We found that strategists are least likely to change employer (21%) whereas designers (43%), account managers (44%) and those working in other roles in the agency (36%) are most likely to leave.

A substantial change in those responsible for the day-to-day client satisfaction and delivery may have an impact on the agency’s ability to service and farm existing clients. There is also a risk of losing knowledge and experience. Agencies are likely to face the need for financial and time investment in the recruitment and training of new talent, which they can ill afford.

A designer told us “It [the recession] has put people throughout the industry under a greater pressure. Under this added pressure, often people make unusual or inappropriate decisions. I constantly see us spreading ourselves too thinly, achieving nothing, upsetting valuable employees and current clients. People are becoming very disillusioned with working here.”

Stef Brown, Managing Director of On Pointe Marketing, says: “Agencies are all about people. Building relationships and satisfying existing clients is one of the best ways to weather any downturn. If agencies start losing the key staff that deliver the work, they risk damaging those relationships to the point where clients may decide to look elsewhere. They also risk being so stretched that they’re unable to seize new opportunities as the market begins to pick up.”

2. Perceived agency delivery gap is major factor in deciding whether to stay or go

We asked respondents to tell us how important a series of agency attributes were to them personally and how well their agency is currently performing against those attributes.

Across the industry, people agree on what makes a good agency.

We then measured the difference between importance and performance, which we call the delivery gap. We found that employees who intend to change job perceive bigger agency delivery gaps than those who wish to stay. The median gap is just 13% for those intending to stay and 36% for those intending to leave.

The five attributes in which there is the greatest difference of opinion between those intending to leave and those intending to stay are: ‘rewards people for going the extra mile’ (39% difference); ‘has a management team that demonstrates strong leadership skills’ (35% difference); ‘helps employees to manage stress’ (33% difference); ‘supports professional development and growth’ (32% difference); and ‘is quick to change in reaction to new situations’ (29% difference).

A design director summed it up as: “Extra workload. No extra benefits. Little thanks for working hard. Grumpy management. Backstabbing. Anger every day, mixed with anxiety. An exacerbation of the ‘them and us’ culture between account handling and creative.”

Rachel Fairley, Managing Director of Fairley & Associates, says: “Employees agree on what makes a good agency and on how their agencies are letting them down. For two-fifths, enough is enough. It isn’t about money; everyone knows money is tight. It is about respect and appreciation. Agencies must empower their managers to lead, coach and nurture their teams so employees are involved in ensuring their agency’s and their personal success.”

3. Crucial deficits in agency performance in the psychosocial work environment

For those intending to leave, the greatest delivery gaps are in the psychosocial work environment such as job demands, job control and workplace support/training.

The perceived delivery gap for those intending to leave is significant: ‘rewards people for going the extra mile’ (64%); ‘supports professional development and growth’ (60%); ‘provides training’ (55%); ‘helps employees to manage stress’ (55%); ‘appropriate workload for staffing levels’ (53%).

An account manager told us “Clients now expect us to cut our fees and costs by 30% in some cases, but not to cut our hours of working methods to address these cuts – the effect is longer working hours, tighter turnaround times, for less. This is affecting our health, mental as well as physical and design integrity. If we continue to drive our suppliers and employees to meet client/procurement criteria – I fear for the industry – how can we possibly come back from this?”

Jobs with high demands and high control are generally considered the most rewarding whereas jobs with high demands, low control and poor workplace support are worst for mental and physical health. To retain talent agencies need to nurture their employees. This may also improve their perception of the leadership skills of their management team.

Karina Beasley, Managing Director of Gabriele Skelton, says: “As a recruiter, of course we are reliant on people moving from one agency to another. However, we also want our agency clients to thrive, and from the results of our research, many are risking their future success by not paying attention to nurturing, and therefore, retaining their employees. Bearing in mind the level of redundancies in the first half of 2009, many agencies are now down to teams comprised entirely of their key people – the very people they can least afford to lose when the upturn comes. It is vital that they look at how to reward and recognise their people – something which doesn’t have to cost a fortune.”

www.designindustryvoices.com

Read more by downloading the full report.

Download Design Industry Voices 2009 report

For press enquiries please download the press release and contact Stef Brown on +44 (0)7773 886 543 or stef@onpointemarketing.com.

Download Press Release

About us:

Fairley & Associates working in collaboration with Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing.

Gabriele Skelton is a specialist design and digital recruitment agency. We're matchmakers; we connect the right candidate with the right client to create something new.  We love working with creatives, account handlers, consultants and thinkers, techies and developers. It's about making the right connections to get the right reaction - unusual combinations that make the magic happen - that’s what we mean by chemistry.

www.gabrieleskelton.com

On Pointe Marketing works with agencies to build external and internal reputation to drive the business development pipeline and retain and attract talent. We create business and brand-led marketing plans and ongoing implementation consultancy. In a world where agencies sometimes wear the worst shorn shoes, On Pointe Marketing is the cobbler.

www.onpointemarketing.com

Design agency staff ready to quit
Disability a 'blind' spot for design and digital agencies

(London, 7 January 2013) The number of staff working in digital and design agencies intending to move job next year is at a four year high, according to a new report published today.

The Design Industry Voices report by Fairley & Associates, Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing is now in its fourth year and shows how small firms have suffered during the ongoing economic crisis. It reveals increasing instability with fewer permanent staff, more freelancers, more unpaid interns and agencies being asked by clients to do more work for less money.

The annual survey - of almost 500 agency staff - paints a picture of the squeeze experienced by small firms during the UK's double dip back into recession this year.

• Almost nine out of ten (87%) say that clients expect more work for less money
• Eight out of ten (80%) say client budgets have been reduced
• Seven out of ten (70%) say clients expect more work in pitches for free
• Almost two thirds say agencies are employing fewer permanent staff (61%), using more freelancers (66%) and more than two fifths are using more unpaid interns (41%)

Agencies are experiencing more staff turnover than ever, since the recession began in 2008:

• More than half (59%) of staff intend to change job in the next twelve months
• More than a third (34%) have been with their agency less than a year
• More than a third (35%) are writing their personal thoughts about work on blogs and social networking sites, almost twice as many as four years ago

Businesses and design agencies are also failing to seize the opportunity of the 'Blue Pound'. They are not designing websites or communications to be accessible to people with disabilities. 10 million disabled people live in the UK with a combined annual spending power in excess of £80 billion - the Blue Pound.*

• Less than one in ten (9%) say that clients ask for all designs to be accessible to people with disabilities
• Fewer than a quarter (21.9%) agree that clients ask for website designs to be accessible to people with disabilities
• Fewer than half (45.7%) agree that they understand how to design in a way that improves accessibility for people with disabilities

Rachel Fairley, lead author of the new research and MD of Fairley & Associates, said:

"Design and digital firms are feeling the squeeze from the UK's double dip into recession during the last year. Businesses are demanding more work from agencies for less money to make up for their budget cuts. They are also demanding safer work and solutions, which will not achieve the business objectives and do nothing to enhance agencies' or clients' reputation as being at the forefront of innovation. The opportunity to address the needs the 10 million disabled people who live in the UK has yet to be seized. Less than one in ten clients ask for designs to be accessible to people with disabilities and less than half of agency staff know how to design in a way that improves accessibility."

Karina Beasley, co-author and MD of Gabriele Skelton, said:

"59% of design and digital agency staff say they are ready to quit. They perceive a crisis of leadership within their agencies, and part of the issue is that owners have a rosier view of agency performance than their staff. The soaring use of freelancers is driving many permanent workers to take contracts, so talent is harder to find. Agencies are busy and there is work out there, but it's definitely a case of 'more for less'. There is a general sense of instability. We hope 2013 will be better as agencies adjust to working with smaller budgets and more smartly. But it's vital that their business strategy is better communicated so that staff know what to expect."

Stef Brown, co-author and MD of On Pointe Marketing, said:

"Seven out of ten say clients expect more work in pitches for free. Social media was rife with free pitch examples in 2012, and some agencies are even beginning to name and shame those brands that are asking for free pitches. Times are tough, and it's all too easy to over-deliver in pitch and give too much away, especially when your peers have jumped on that bandwagon. But consider this – the act of giving Intellectual Property away commoditises services. This undermines clients' appreciation of the value of agency expertise and they then may refuse to pay a premium for those services. If enough agencies take a stand and stop this practice, clients will follow suit."

For more information please call Rachel Fairley on 07714 098 324, rachel@fairleyassociates.com.

- ENDS -

NOTES TO EDITORS:

From 00:01h Monday 7 January 2013 see www.designindustryvoices.com to access the full report. For more details and an embargoed copy of the full report, contact
Stef Brown
On Pointe Marketing
M: +44 (0)7773 886 543
E: stef@onpointemarketing.com

We asked 459 people who work within digital or design agencies to anonymously share their views online between 3-7 October 2012.

* Business Disability Forum website www.businessdisabilityforum.org.uk

Fairley & Associates works with companies and agencies to effect change, solve immediate business challenges and build long-term capabilities in brand, marketing and engagement.

www.fairleyassociates.com

Gabriele Skelton is a specialist design and digital recruitment agency.

www.gabrieleskelton.com

On Pointe Marketing works with agencies to build external and internal reputation to drive the

www.onpointemarketing.com

Download Press Release

Business Disability Forum re-launches to improve business performance of disability-smart organisations

London, 29 October 2012 - Business Disability Forum, formerly known as the Employers’ Forum on Disability, is being re-launched today to help organisations maximise the business benefits of a smart approach to disability.

The repositioning of the organisation required a rebrand: new brand strategy, brand architecture, visual identity, messaging and website. Fairley & Associates recommended the name be Business Disability Forum and simplified the complex brand architecture and messaging to help the organisation make sense of the sub-brands, products and services. The brand was repositioned around the idea of ‘building disability-smart organisations’ to improve their business performance by gaining access to the widest possible talent and customer base. For the first time the leadership defined the values with which they undertook their work. The new Business Disability Forum logo and visual identity were created by Studio Blackburn (www.studioblackburn.com).

Catherine Grinyer, Director of Communications at Business Disability Forum said: “Fairley & Associates brought clarity of thought on the brand idea and intelligent advice on how to reposition the offer and sort out our marketing strategy. They gave us the confidence to steer the project internally and the insight on how to navigate the stumbling blocks. Their approach is pragmatic and no-nonsense. Studio Blackburn’s design is clear, contemporary and elegant, allowing our values to come to the fore in a fresh and lucid manner.”

Rachel Fairley, Managing Director of Fairley & Associates said “The first hurdle was the name; Employers’ spoke directly to talent acquisition and employee retention, but was not perceived to encompass customers or supply chain. It was important to evolve the reputation of Employers’ Forum on Disability without losing the equity that had been so carefully built over twenty years. The new name Business Disability Forum, logo, visual identity are all aligned with the strategy.” The strategy had implications for the logo and visual identity, which came across as dated. Studio Blackburn brought the strategy to life by creating a new logotype and brand identity.

Paul Blackburn, Creative Director of Studio Blackburn added “The aim for us was to deliver a visual identity and website that sets a standard for the sector, free of the usual clichés associated with it. It reflects the position of the Business Disability Forum as a seriously smart organisation. All this whilst ensuring the accessibility of the brand identity and website, which was far the most challenging aspect of the project.”

The website now has a clear message, is straightforward to navigate and manage. Fairley & Associates defined the new user experience focusing on the audience’s needs, wrote the copy and provided the photography selection. Studio Blackburn designed and built the new website www.businessdisabilityforum.org.uk.

A new marketing strategy developed by the Business Disability Forum in collaboration with Fairley & Associates has improved consistency of marketing communications activity and made budget investment decisions and assessing impact straightforward. The messaging was re-written in line with the strategy and staff trained to give them the confidence to tell the story in their own words.

Business Disability Forum Chief Executive and Founder Susan Scott-Parker OBE said:

“Thanks to Fairley & Associates and Studio Blackburn we have launched a new brand that enables us to get on with the job of supporting businesses to become disability-smart without our old name getting in the way. We have more than twenty years experience of equipping people with the expertise to create confident organisations by improving the understanding of disability in business, removing barriers and making adjustments for individuals. Our taskforces and networks regularly bring together our members with disabled opinion leaders to share best practice and create change in their specialist fields or areas of common interest. Our Disability Standard is the authoritative measure of how disability-smart an organisation is, providing a way to improve customer and employee experiences. The result is disability-smart organisations that have access to the widest possible talent and customer base.”

For more information please call Rachel Fairley on 07714 098 324, rachel@fairleyassociates.com.

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS

1. Imagery available on request
2. Business Disability Forum represents some 400 member organisations that employ around 20% of the UK workforce.
3. The new Business Disability Forum website is www.businessdisabilityforum.org.uk

Fairley & Associates work with companies and agencies to effect change, solve immediate business challenges and build long term capabilities in brand, marketing and engagement. Our clients report greater traction within their organisations and in the marketplace.
Contact:
Rachel Fairley,
M: +44 (0)7714 098 324
E: rachel@fairleyassociates.com

Studio Blackburn offer a fast, intense, unpretentious Brand Identity service that is in tune with and easily understood by mainstream business people and corporate organisations. It focuses on helping them define and explain what makes them better than the competition, yet is also thoughtful and imaginative in the work it delivers for them.
Contact:
Paul Blackburn,
M: +44 (0)7971 078 987
E: paul@studioblackburn.com

Business Disability Forum equips people with the expertise to create confident organisations by improving the understanding of disability in business, removing barriers and making adjustments for individuals. Our taskforces and networks regularly bring together our members with disabled opinion leaders to share best practice and create change in their specialist fields or areas of common interest. Our Disability Standard is the authoritative measure of how disability-smart an organisation is, providing a way to improve customer and employee experiences. The result is disability-smart organisations that have access to the widest possible talent and customer base.
Contact:
Catherine Grinyer,
M: +44 (0)7854 751477
E: catherineg@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk
W: www.businessdisabilityforum.org.uk

Download Case Study PDF
Download Press Release

Scientist equipped to further frontiers of discovery by Fairley & Associates, Felt branding and Hildebrand

A unique model for furthering the frontiers of science through scientific research using state-of-the-art technology was established today with the launch of the Instruct Hub at www.structuralbiology.eu, thanks to innovative strategy, design and digital innovation work of joint-agencies team of Fairley & Associates, Felt Branding and Hildebrand.

Instruct aims to have a big impact on medical advances over the next decade, opening up new and powerful insights into treating diseases, from killer cancers to the common cold.

Fairley & Associates led the programme, defined the brand, digital and engagement strategies, content and communications. Felt Branding created the brand’s identity from scratch. Hildebrand built the intelligent, multifunctional Instruct Hub.

Scientists can now apply online to conduct their research using previously difficult to access pioneering technologies from across Europe. They can also use personal and collaborative workspaces, debate the Grand Challenges facing society, find information about funding, browse for jobs and promote their work.

The Instruct Hub has undergone nine months of extensive and rigorous beta testing, during which over 500 people have joined as members, from nearly 200 organisations, in 25 countries. There are already 800 pages of user-generated content written by 120 people.

Instruct’s comprehensive multi-stakeholder engagement weaves an ad campaign, written by Fairley & Associates and designed by Felt Branding, which runs in Science and Nature (February – May), with Skype filmed scientist-to-scientist interviews, and a conference sponsorship programme with student bursaries, as part of a wide ranging communications strategy. Instruct will be formally launched at a signing ceremony in Brussels on February 23 by Robert-Jan Smits, European Commission Director-General for Research and Innovation and Prof. Dave Stuart, Instruct Director.

Prof. Dave Stuart, Instruct Director, said; “Never before have European biologists had a single point of access to all the technology and expertise they need to further their research. By bringing together the different disciplines, technologies and experts in European biology, Instruct will be helping to make the vision of truly integrated biology a reality for the first time. Fairley & Associates, Felt Branding and Hildebrand’s vision and experience has been critical to the success of Instruct.”

Felt Branding brought the brand strategy to life with a new visual identity.
Scott Manning, Partner at Felt Branding, explains “we’ve made a feature of Instruct’s inclusiveness, of being ‘in’ ‘Instruct’. The logo represents the jigsaw puzzle of bringing together people, their expertise and support with technology. We’ve drawn on this graphic device to create a distinctive and recognisable pattern that is used throughout their communications to help them quickly build recognition. ”

Rachel Fairley, Managing Director of Fairley & Associates said; “As programme leaders our role was to help Instruct define their strategy and ensure it became reality within six months. We make no apologies for the ambition of our work for Instruct. We had a blank sheet of paper and quickly identified that there was a huge opportunity to create a unique environment for biologists. We are delighted that Instruct were able to go live on time, on budget and to attract so many active members so quickly.”

Joshua Cooper, CEO at Hildebrand added “We are proud to have worked with Instruct and Fairley & Associates to deliver what we believe is a unique online environment; using social media and other technologies to support scientists achieve their research goals. Instruct’s Hub encourages collaboration across borders and specialisms to develop pioneering approaches to integrated structural biology.”

Instruct has been shortlisted by the Transform Awards 2012 for Best Not for Profit and Best Digital. Winners will be announced on 21 March.

-ENDS-

NOTE TO EDITORS

Contact:
Rachel Fairley,
M: +4+44 (0)20 8223 9129 or (0)7714 098 324
E: rachel@fairleyassociates.com

Fairley & Associates work with companies and agencies to effect change, solve immediate business challenges and build long term capabilities in brand, marketing and engagement. Our clients report greater traction within their organisations and in the marketplace.

www.fairleyassociates.com

Felt Branding

Whether communicating change, improving brand awareness or reinventing a brand experience, our aim with every project is to have a fruitful impact on our client's business. Intelligent, creative design can work wonders. It can revitalize a brand and reach out to its audience, bridging the gap and enriching the experience for everyone.

Every project is different; we work closely with clients to make sure that our response is tailored to their, and our, aspirations. It's an approach that enables us to work with a broad spectrum of clients, from small start-ups to leading international brands. Each client benefits from our collective experience and expertise, which extends across a range of design disciplines.

www.feltbranding.com

Hildebrand

Hildebrand provides creative and technology consulting for service organisations. We combine innovative technology with real-life experience, turning complex problems into a source of competitive advantage.

www.hildebrand.co.uk

Instruct

Instruct is the dynamic hub of structural biology providing an integrated infrastructure of cutting edge technology, scientific expertise and pioneering training. We aim to provide strategic leadership for structural biology in Europe by promoting an integrated approach to technology and methodologies

Instruct is one of ten European biomedical science research infrastructure projects funded as part of the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme. Instruct is part of the European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures.

Instruct’s objectives are set by the Instruct Council, Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The Independent Scientific Advisory Board, the Peer Review Committee, the Instruct Centres Forum and user groups all provide advice. This structure provides all stakeholders, from funding agencies to individual scientists, with the channels and opportunity to shape the future of Instruct. Led by the Instruct Director, it employs the management team and establishes contracts on behalf of Instruct.
The management and operation of Instruct is delivered through Instruct Academic Services, a not-for-profit organisation.

www.structuralbiology.eu

Download Press Release

Faltering economic recovery puts squeeze on agencies.

New evidence of the reality of the Britain’s faltering economic recovery emerged today, in a survey which shows that digital and design agencies are increasingly being asked to work for free.

The Design Industry Voices survey is now in its third year and shows how small firms have suffered following the financial crisis, during the recession and the long, slow recovery.

The new survey - of almost 500 agency staff - paints a picture of the squeeze being experienced by small firms in the private sector as public sector budget cuts begin to bite and economic confidence fails to recover.

• More than eight out of ten (85%) say that clients expect more work for less money
• More than seven out of ten (71%) say clients expect more work in pitches for free
• More than eight out of ten (82%) say client budgets have been reduced
• More than half say agencies are employing fewer permanent staff (58%), using more freelancers (55%) and more than two fifths are using more unpaid interns (43%).

The latest UK unemployment figures show that employment growth in the private sector is being far out stripped by job losses in the public sector. Private sector jobs have only risen by 5,000 but public sector jobs lost for the same period are 67,000. Overall, UK unemployment is at its highest level since 1994, at 2.64 million.

Design Industry Voices also shows that agencies are experiencing more staff turnover than ever, since the recession began in 2008:

• More than half (58%) of staff intend to change job in the next twelve months
• More than a third (35%) have been with their agency less than a year.

People working in digital and design agencies say they are feeling the brunt of the long, slow recovery. Fewer than one in five respondents consider that their agency is performing ‘very well’ in respect of ‘helps employees to manage stress’ (12%), ‘rewards people for going the extra mile’ (15%) and provides ‘appropriate workload for staffing levels’ (15%).

Rachel Fairley, lead author of the new research and MD of Fairley & Associates, said:
“Digital and design agencies appear to be running on empty. Clients expect more work for less money to make up for budget cuts. Staff have disengaged; they are overworked, undervalued, and fed up of poor leadership. More of them than ever intend to change job within twelve months (58%), with far reaching consequences in this uncertain economic climate.”

Karina Beasley, MD of Gabriele Skelton, said:
“For agencies, a high staff turn-over means extra costs. Finding and recruiting new staff, then inducting them and getting them up to speed to take over accounts all adds to costs and eats into margins. In the current jobs market, agencies that advertise are being swamped with applications meaning that short-listing takes far longer than it used to and candidates rarely get feedback and often do not even have their applications acknowledged. Too many are relying on freelancers and unpaid interns.”

Stef Brown, MD of On Pointe Marketing, said:
“Clients are increasingly nervous that the ‘A’ team pitched, but an unstable ‘B’ team are delivering. And feeling like you aren’t on the ‘A’ team is demotivating, giving employees another reason to consider leaving. Not only this, but producing creative work for free during pitches means agencies are giving away their most valuable commodity: their intellectual property. I can't think of any other professional services business where this is tolerated, or even considered an option."

Survey respondents said:

• “Clients want twice as much work for half the money.”
• “Clients want everything done at speed for no money. No time or opportunities for creative input. Demoralising.”
• “I get the sense clients are reining in budgets again with the Euro crisis upon us. Could have an affect over the coming months.”
• “Fear of a double dip recession makes employers less inclined to recruit permanent staff… Maturity and experience seems less valued now. Perhaps because you can pay inexperienced staff much lower rates.”

Notes to Editors

From 00:01h Tuesday 27 December 2011 see www.designindustryvoices.com to access the full report. For more details and an embargoed copy of the full report, contact below (note holiday dates).

We asked 496 people who work within digital or design agencies to anonymously share their views online between 3-7 October 2011.

The latest unemployment figures are at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/december-2011/index.html

Fairley & Associates works with companies and agencies to effect change, solve immediate business challenges and build long-term capabilities in brand, marketing and engagement. www.fairleyassociates.com

Gabriele Skelton is a specialist design and digital recruitment agency. www.gabrieleskelton.com

On Pointe Marketing works with agencies to build external and internal reputation to drive the business development pipeline and retain and attract talent. www.onpointemarketing.com

Contacts

Until 16 Dec = Richard Darlington, 07525 481 602
After 16 Dec = Rachel Fairley, 07714 098 324

Or email rachel@designindustryvoices.com

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Fairley & Associates wins four Transform Awards 2011

LONDON, 8 APRIL 2011 – BDO, Fairley & Associates and Greentarget have today announced that that their excellence in rebranding has been recognised at the Communicate Magazine Transform Awards 2011 in which the team won four awards, in the following categories:

• GOLD award for Best Brand Evolution
• GOLD award for Best Implementation of a Rebrand
• SILVER award for Best Internal Communication of a Rebrand
• SILVER award for Best Corporate Rebrand to Reflect Changed Mission/Values/Positioning

BDO, Fairley & Associates and Greentarget were recognised for their collaborative work in the repositioning and rebrand of BDO, the world’s fifth largest accountancy network.

The project was commissioned to signal the move of every member firm in BDO’s international network to a single global trading name. This demanded a full refresh of its visual identity by Greentarget and a comprehensive brand, engagement and implementation strategy throughout the BDO network, led by BDO and Fairley & Associates. The collaboration has resulted in a strengthened and unified brand, spanning BDO’s presence in over 120 countries.

Julia Henniker-Heaton, Director, Brand and Marketing at BDO said:
“Working with Fairley & Associates and Greentarget enabled us to create a project team that acted as our internal support. This collaborative and integrated approach helped us to secure engagement from internal stakeholders throughout the process, as well as ensuring the rapid implementation of our striking new look and feel."

“The repositioning of BDO under a single trading name now reflects our capabilities to deliver a consistent and exceptional level of service and expertise to our clients across the world.”

Rachel Fairley, Managing Director, Fairley & Associates said:
“We employ a strategic, pragmatic approach and virtual team philosophy to all of the projects we carry out. It is brilliant news that our work with BDO has been recognised by a panel of experts.”

Simon Case, Creative Director, Greentarget said:
“We are delighted that the excellence of our work and the unique process we adopt in involving clients in the development of their brands has been recognised in this year’s Transform Awards.”

Andrew Thomas, publisher of Communicate magazine, said:
“We have seen a 60% increase in the number of entries this year which highlights the growing importance of the Transform Awards and represents fabulous growth."

“Organised by branding and communications magazine Communicate and now in their second year, the Transform Awards are Europe’s only dedicated recognition of excellence in rebranding and brand transformation. While brands by their nature are judged subjectively, the panel of judges looked to identify brand transformations that demonstrated a consistency of thought from brief to execution that was distinctive, robust and clear and took the organisation a clear step closer to its strategic objectives”.

The award ceremony was held at the Grange Hotel St Paul’s in London and was hosted by former director of communications and strategy at Number 10 Alastair Campbell.

-ENDS-

NOTE TO EDITORS

Imagery available from Greentarget on request. Please contact Jeff Watt, +44 (020) 7680 5050, jeff.watt@greentarget.net

Service provision within the international BDO network of independent member firms ('the BDO network') is coordinated by Brussels Worldwide Services BVBA, a limited liability company incorporated in Belgium with its statutory seat in Brussels.

Each of BDO International Limited (the governing entity of the BDO network), Brussels Worldwide Services BVBA and the member firms is a separate legal entity and has no liability for another such entity’s acts or omissions. Nothing in the arrangements or rules of the BDO network shall constitute or imply an agency relationship or a partnership between BDO International Limited, Brussels Worldwide Services BVBA and/or the member firms of the BDO network.

BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO member firms.

The combined fee income of all the BDO Member Firms, including the members of their exclusive alliances, was $5.28 billion in 2010. The global network provides advisory services in 119 countries, with almost 47,000 people working out of 1,082 offices worldwide.

Contact: Julia Henniker, Brussels Worldwide Services BVBA, +(32 2) 778 0130, bws@bwsbrussels.com. www.bdointernational.com.

Fairley & Associates work with companies and agencies to effect change, solve immediate business challenges and build long term capabilities in brand, marketing and engagement. Our clients report greater traction within their organisations and in the marketplace.

Contact: Rachel Fairley, +44 (0)7714 098 324, rachel@fairleyassociates.com. www.fairleyassociates.com

Greentarget is a strategic communications consultancy specialising in public relations, internal communications, branding and design. We manage and enhance our clients' reputations and their brands by employing the full spectrum of communication channels.

Contact: Jeff Watt, +44 (020) 7680 5050, jeff.watt@greentarget.net www.greentarget.net

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Design Industry Voices Survey of UK design and digital agency employees reveals 56% intend to change job within a year.

London, 8 December 2010 Design Industry Voices 2010, the second report on what people in the UK design and digital industry really think and feel about the agency they work for, has been released by Fairley & Associates, Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing. Research for the report was carried out online between 15-25 October 2010.

Over half of respondents intend to change job within a year

The report reveals that more than half of respondents (56%) intend to change job within a year, compared to 38% in 2009. In 2009, 95% of respondents were in permanent employment, 5% freelancing and 0.4% out of work, while this year 69% of respondents are permanent employees, 26% freelancing and 5% currently not working.

Stef Brown, Marketing Consultant at On Pointe Marketing, says: "With over half of respondents considering a move, it has never been more important for agency management to engage all staff to build reputation, retain talent and protect client relationships. The increase in freelancers means more people are regularly working at different agencies and these people can create or break agency reputations through word of mouth, potentially impacting on future recruitment."

Staff discriminate more about what they expect from their agency than last year

In the survey, respondents were presented with a series of attributes listed as statements. They were first asked how important each attribute is to them personally.

This year there is a 43% difference between the highest ranked, most important, attribute (82% for 'values ideas and opinions') and the lowest ranked, least important, attribute (39% for 'helps employees manage stress'). In 2009 the difference between the highest and lowest ranked attribute was only 11%, with the highest ranking at 100% for 'has a management team that demonstrates strong leadership skills' and the lowest ranking at 89% for 'focuses on farming existing clients' (not included in the 2010 survey).

Rachel Fairley, MD of Fairley & Associates, says:
"Last year everything was considered important. This year respondents seem more realistic and discriminating, with a focus on being able to make a contribution to stimulating work in a team environment, where there is a strong leadership that rewards people for going the extra mile."

Perceived delivery gap widens in the past year

Respondents were also asked how well they feel their agency is currently performing against each attribute. An agency delivery gap is defined as the difference between the perceived importance compared to perception of how well an agency currently performs.

Perceived agency performance is poor. At best, just over one third (36%) and at worst, only one in ten (10%), rate their agency as performing ‘very well’ for any single attribute.

This year there is a wide range between the attribute with the smallest perceived delivery gap and the highest gap: -15% for 'a brand that is compatible with my own values' to -56% for 'rewards people for going the extra mile.' The most important attribute ('values ideas and opinions') has a large delivery gap of -46%, while the lowest delivery gap of -15% is for one of the least important attributes ('a brand that is compatible with my own values').

In 2009, the lowest and highest delivery gaps were also for 'a brand that is compatible with my own values' (-6%) and 'rewards people to go the extra mile' (-39%).

Finally, the number of employees writing their thoughts about work online has increased from 19% in 2009 to 27% in 2010.

Rachel Fairley continues:
"While respondents may be more realistic about what is important to them in an agency, their perception of how their agency actually performs has got worse and is generally poor. Rewarding people for going the extra mile remains the biggest concern. Agency bosses should take heed that their employees feel their ideas and opinions are not valued, with a high delivery gap of -44%. It's also worth noting that being new to an agency, or a freelancer, doesn't mean the person will have a different point of view of how well the agency is performing compared to long-term staff. This matters all the more because more people than ever are sharing their thoughts about work online, shaping agency reputations."

Age has impact on what's important and how actual performance is perceived

Age affects importance ratings by respondents in four specific areas:

• Importance of doing 'work that is stimulating' decreases with age.
• Under 30s rate 'supporting professional development and growth' as more important than other age groups.
• Importance of 'clear strategic goals' increases with age.
• Over 50s perceive 'holding people accountable for the quality of the work they produce' to be of higher importance than other age groups.

Age also affects respondents' perception of actual agency performance in seven of the fifteen attributes.

Karina Beasley, MD of Gabriele Skelton, says:
"We think there is likely to be a link between seniority and age. Perhaps it's not surprising that certain areas such as supporting professional development and growth becomes less important as people grow older because they will have more years of experience. What is more surprising is that the importance of doing work that is stimulating decreases with age. In a sector often cited for retaining employees because of their love for creativity, agency management may need to reconsider how staff motivations have changed."

Owners and executive teams disagree that their agency 'has good pay and benefits package'

Owners and executive teams perceive a difference in their agency performance in relation to 'has good pay and benefits package'. The average ranking is 18%, while owners' ranking is 22% and executives' is 13%. Not only this, but owners perceive performance to be better than the average for seven of the fifteen attributes and executive teams do so for five of those seven.

Rachel Fairley concludes:
"Agency leaders believe performance to be better than the rest of staff for almost half of the attributes. There appears to be a disconnect between senior staff and the rest of the workforce. Despite this difference of opinion, performance for all attributes remains poor. But perception is reality, and leaders need to share their vision for the business so that all staff may have a common view."

Further information about the report are available on www.designindustryvoices.com.

ENDS.

NOTES TO EDITOR:

For further information and a copy of the report, please contact:
Stef Brown
On Pointe Marketing
M: +44 (0)7773 886 543
E: stef@onpointemarketing.com

Selected quotes from respondents:

"A lot of company owners are under the delusion that their employees want nothing more than to work late nights and weekends 'for the cause'. The majority of people that I know in the design industry work ridiculous hours and have no work/life balance. Friends I know suffer stress and exhaustion, all under the belief they should be enjoying themselves because they have a vocational job. Also, for some reason which I've never figured out, design is the only industry where nobody ever says 'no' to the client. If you said to a plumber 'I want this finished by the morning', he'd probably laugh his head off. But in design, account handlers simply say 'Yes, yes, yes'. I made the decision to become self-employed six years ago and I've never looked back. Despite still loving the work I do, I sincerely hope never to have to work full-time in the design industry again."
Male freelance designer, aged between 30-39.

"...agencies seem to be continuing to reduce in size, the days of the large agency seems to be numbered. This means that the role of the 'good' freelancer is ever more important. Across the industry there seems to be a lack of really good freelancers who have a wide range of experience."
Male freelance designer, aged between 30-39.

"I am based in the US. After working in the UK for the past year, I have noticed several key differences, at least in London. 1) Women are still undervalued and often poorly treated in the workplace. 2) Pay in the UK is far below what one would expect in the US. 3) Personal space as not valued. 4) Alcoholism is institutionalized in the workplace."
Male freelance designer, aged between 40-49, who has worked for his current agency for less than a year.

"It is difficult for female designers after having had children to get into the work market again, to be on the same or higher level than what she was on before she had children, as it seems to be too much extra complications for the employer. Design agencies would rather choose a designer without a young family. Despite the facts that the female designer has a very good education and work experience, being a mother puts her at the back of the line… It was a set back to choose to stay at home, but working would not be a practical option, since the working hours (9am -6pm) would not allow me to pick my children up in time, and the wage would only go to paying off the child care bills."
Female designer, aged between 30-39, who worked for previous agency for five years and is now a stay at home mother.

"I'm a freelancer and all the agencies I've worked for in the last 18 months seem to be responding to the economic downturn by promising clients work with unrealistic budgets and improbable deadlines. But it's a false economy as stress and anxiety levels go through the roof and the staff suffer as does the quality of work delivered. The phrase 'digital sweatshop' comes to mind and the attitude of the management tier seems to be 'suck it up and take it'."
Male freelancer, aged between 30-39.

"Creative skills – intuition, a broad knowledge base, discerning thought process – used to be something of value. More recently it's becoming no more than a commodity, driven by clients and even some creative managers with the attitude of 'we can all do this, what's so special about you?' If we ourselves don't place enough emphasis on quality of thought and a sense of craft (and that goes for strategic as well as creative output) then what hope is there of educating clients? To put it simply, it's not much fun anymore...."
Male designer on the executive team, aged between 40-49, who has been with his agency on permanent contract for over five years

"Too much emphasis on agencies hiring 'bright', which is a euphemism for 'young'. As an older worker in internet, have been working in the industry for 15 years, and now it’s difficult to get work as most shops are focused on having a young, bright, ambitious team."
Male production manager, aged between 40-49, on a permanent contract with current agency for less than two years.

"I find it disturbing that people who have only worked for themselves think their way is the only way to do things! I think there's a mix of arrogance and naivety with some people at the top. They’ve no idea of the reality at the coal face!"
Female account management member of the executive team, aged between 40-49, who has been with her current agency in a permanent role for less than four years.

Methodology:

We asked people who work within design or digital agencies to anonymously share their views on how it feels to work within their agencies right now.

The research was carried out online between 5-15 October 2010 by Rachel Fairley of Fairley & Associates, Professor Stephen Platt of University of Edinburgh and Dr Claudia Martin of Scottish Centre for Social Research, working in collaboration with Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing.

893 of a possible 11,352 people invited to participate did so (7.9%), all of whom are either clients or candidates of Gabriele Skelton. The sample size is larger than for 2009.

The majority of questions were statements where respondents were asked for their point of view on how important an attribute was to them personally (very important, quite important, not important, not sure) and how well the agency they work for currently or most recently was performing in relation to each of the attributes (very well, quite well, not well, not sure).

About the participants:

Management function: 18.4% are owners, 5.9% are on the executive team, 17% are director level, 22.6% are managers, 36% are in non-management role.

Role: 57.7% are designers, 7.4% strategists, 13.8% work in account management, 6.8% in production, 4.1% new business/marketing, 1.8% human resources, with 8.4% classing their roles as being in other parts of their organisation.

Employment status: 69.4% of respondents are permanent employees; 26% are freelancers and 4.6% currently not working.

Length of service: 25.9% of participants have been with their employers for more than five years; 7.7% less than five years; 9.1% less than four years; 12.6% less than three years; 13.9% less than two years; 30.8% for less than a year.

Location: 94.2% are UK based; 5.8% work outide the UK. For the purposes of analysis we used only the responses of those based in the UK.

Age: the majority of respondents were aged 30-50 (43.7% aged 30-39 and 31.2% 40-49), 0.1% are under 18, 14.1% are 18-29 years old, 9.9% 50-59, 1.0% over 60.

Gender: three-fifths of the sample were male (59.8.5%) and two-fifths female (40.2%).

About us:

Fairley & Associates works with companies and agencies to effect change, solve immediate business challenges and build long-term capabilities in brand, marketing and engagement. Our clients report greater traction within their organisations and in the marketplace.

www.fairleyassociates.com

Gabriele Skelton is a specialist design and digital recruitment agency. We're matchmakers; we connect the right candidate with the right client to create something new. We love working with creatives, account handlers, consultants and thinkers, techies and developers. It's about making the right connections to get the right reaction - unusual combinations that make the magic happen - that’s what we mean by chemistry.

www.gabrieleskelton.com

On Pointe Marketing works with agencies to build external and internal reputation to drive the business development pipeline and retain and attract talent. We create business and brand-led marketing plans and ongoing implementation consultancy. In a world where agencies sometimes wear the worst shorn shoes, On Pointe Marketing is the cobbler.

www.onpointemarketing.com

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Design Industry Voices Survey of UK design and digital agency employees reveals 38% are planning exit when market picks up.

– Industry employees voice dissatisfaction in their agency's performance in the areas that matter most to them –

London, 3 December 2009 The Design Industry Voices Survey 2009 by Fairley & Associates, Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing, reveals that nearly two-fifths (38%) of UK design and digital agency staff are either definitely or possibly intending to change employers when the recession ends. Research for the report was carried out online between 15-24 October 2009 amongst people who work within UK design and digital agencies.

Day-to-day client satisfaction at risk

The report further highlights that the likeliest people to consider leaving their jobs are those that are responsible for day-to-day client satisfaction and delivery:

• 36% of directors, 53% of managers and 47% of coordinators and assistants intend to change employer when the recession ends, compared to only 19% of the executive team.
• Strategists are least likely to change employer (21%). Designers (43%), account managers (44%) and those working in other roles in the agency (36%) are most likely to leave.
• Of those intending to leave, almost three quarters (73%) intend to stay in the same field. The rest either don’t know or intend to do something different.

A substantial change in those responsible for the day-to-day client satisfaction and delivery may have an impact on the agency's ability to service and farm existing clients. There is also a risk of losing knowledge and experience. Agencies are likely to face the need for financial and time investment in the recruitment and training of new talent which they can ill afford.

Stef Brown, Managing Director of On Pointe Marketing, says:
"Agencies are all about people. Building relationships and satisfying existing clients is one of the best ways to weather any downturn. If agencies start losing the key staff that delivers the work, they risk damaging those relationships to the point where clients may decide to look elsewhere. They also risk being so stretched that they’re unable to seize new opportunities as the market begins to pick up."

Perceived agency delivery gap is major factor in deciding whether to stay or go

In the survey, respondents were presented with a series of attributes listed as statements. They were first asked how important each attribute is to them personally. Respondents were then asked how well they feel their agency is currently performing against each attribute. An agency delivery gap is defined as the difference between an attribute's level of personal importance versus the respondent's perception of how well the agency performs against it.

All respondents broadly agree on which attributes are important to them personally. However, employees who intend to change job perceive bigger agency delivery gaps than those who wish to stay.

The median delivery gap is 19% for all respondents. However, for those intending to leave the median delivery gap is 36% while just 13% for those intending to stay – an average difference of 23% between those intending to leave and those intending to stay.

The five attributes in which there is the greatest difference of opinion between those intending to leave and those intending to stay are: 'rewards people for going the extra mile' (39% difference); 'has a management team that demonstrates strong leadership skills' (35% difference); 'helps employees to manage stress' (33% difference); 'supports professional development and growth' (32% difference); and 'is quick to change in reaction to new situations' (29% difference).

Rachel Fairley, Managing Director of Fairley & Associates, says:
"Employees agree on what makes a good agency and on how their agencies are letting them down. For two-fifths, enough is enough. It isn't about money; everyone knows money is tight. It is about respect and appreciation. Agencies must empower their managers to lead, coach and nurture their teams so employees are involved in ensuring their agency's and their personal success."

Crucial deficits in agency performance in the psychosocial work environment

For those intending to leave, the attributes where the delivery gap is greatest are in the psychosocial work environment such as job demands, job control and workplace support/training. Jobs with high demands and high control are generally considered the most rewarding whereas jobs with high demands, low control and poor workplace support are worst for mental and physical health.

The five attributes with greatest perceived delivery gap for those intending to leave are: 'rewards people for going the extra mile' (64%); 'supports professional development and growth' (60%); 'provides training' (55%); 'helps employees to manage stress' (55%); 'appropriate workload for staffing levels' (53%).

Karina Beasley, Managing Director of Gabriele Skelton, says:
"As a recruiter, of course we are reliant on people moving from one agency to another. However, we also want our agency clients to thrive, and from the results of our research, many are risking their future success by not paying attention to nurturing, and therefore, retaining their employees. Bearing in mind the level of redundancies in the first half of 2009, many agencies are now down to teams comprised entirely of their key people – the very people they can least afford to lose when the upturn comes. It is vital that they look at how to reward and recognise their people – something which doesn't have to cost a fortune."

Agency owners and senior management teams will be invited to a series of breakfast seminars taking place in January 2010 by Fairley & Associates, Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing, which will provide practical, implementable and cost-effective solutions to narrow the delivery gap, thereby increasing likelihood of employee retention and positive word of mouth, as well as growing the agency's internal and external reputation. To download the full report please go to: www.designindustryvoices.com.

- ENDS -

NOTES TO EDITOR:

For further information please go to www.designindustryvoices.com or contact:
Stef Brown
On Pointe Marketing
M: +44 (0)7773 886 543
E: stef@onpointemarketing.com

Methodology:

We asked people who work within design or digital agencies to anonymously share their views on how it feels to work within their agencies right now.

The research was carried out online between 15-24 October 2009 by Fairley & Associates, working in collaboration with Gabriele Skelton and On Pointe Marketing.

567 of a possible 4746 people invited to participate did so (12%).

The majority of questions were statements where respondents were asked for their point of view on how important an attribute is to them personally (very important, quite important, not important, not sure) and how well the agency they work for currently or most recently is performing in relation to each of the attributes (very well, quite well, not well, not sure).

About the participants:

Management function: 19.2% are on the executive team, 40% are director level, 25.6% managers, 3% coordinators, 3.2% assistants and the remaining 9% describe themselves as 'other'.

Role: 45.9% are designers, 8.3% strategists, 13.9% work in account management, 8.3% in production, 7.2% new business/marketing, 5.8% human resources, with 10.6% classing their roles as being in other parts of their organisation.

Employment status: 94.6% of respondents are permanent employees; 5% are freelancers and 0.4% currently not working.

Length of service: 46.3% of participants have been with their employers for more than five years; 8.5% less than five years; 13.2% less than less than four years; 13% less than three years; 10.5% less than two years; 8.6% for less than a year.

Location: 97.5% are UK based; 1.1% work in mainland Europe; 1.4% in the rest of the world. For the purposes of analysis we used only the responses of those based in the UK.

Age: the majority of respondents were aged 30-50 (42.9% aged 30-39 and 36% 40-49), 7.6% are 18-29 years old, 12.3% 50-59, 1.3% over 60.

Gender: three-fifths of the sample were male (61.5%) and two-fifths female (38.5%).

About us:

Fairley & Associates works with companies and agencies to effect change, solve immediate business challenges and build long term capabilities in brand, marketing and engagement. Our clients report greater traction within their organisations and in the marketplace.

www.fairleyassociates.com

Gabriele Skelton is a specialist design and digital recruitment agency. We're matchmakers; we connect the right candidate with the right client to create something new. We love working with creatives, account handlers, consultants and thinkers, techies and developers. It's about making the right connections to get the right reaction - unusual combinations that make the magic happen - that's what we mean by chemistry.

www.gabrieleskelton.com

On Pointe Marketing works with agencies to build external and internal reputation to drive the business development pipeline and retain and attract talent. We create business and brand-led marketing plans and ongoing implementation consultancy. In a world where agencies sometimes wear the worst shorn shoes, On Pointe Marketing is the cobbler.

www.onpointemarketing.com

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BDO launches global brand refresh

London, 1 October 2009 - BDO, the world's fifth largest accountancy network,
has today announced that all its member firms in 110 countries world wide are adopting the single global trading name of 'BDO'. By January 2010 the network will have dropped the local member firm suffixes in all countries.

BDO partnered with Fairley & Associates, a brand and marketing specialist,
and Greentarget, a strategic communications consultancy, to deliver a complementary, strengthened brand proposition.

Fairley & Associates worked collaboratively with BDO to evolve the brand strategy accompanying the network’s move to a single global trading name. Building on BDO’s promise of client proximity, the brand is now encapsulated in the idea ‘what matters to you, matters to us’, in that the network strives to provide the best possible advice and professional service.

Greentarget was appointed to refresh the visual identity and create a look and feel around the evolved brand idea. The consultancy translated the organising idea into a creative driver – ‘reflecting our clients’ – and used this theme to inform the complete brand expression, from font and tone of voice right through to graphics and imagery.

Fairley & Associates worked through the complex implications of global implementation with BDO. Every step was made simple and each member firm in every country was provided with complete implementation guidance. Fairley & Associates developed a phased approach for internal engagement and external communications. To ensure both consistency worldwide and ease of local adaptation, complete toolkits were created containing everything from podcasts to posters and presentations to press releases, as well as a custom-built image bank.

Greentarget enabled local marketing professionals in over 1,000 offices worldwide to implement the new visual identity efficiently and consistently, by providing extensive modular guidelines and ready-to-use electronic MS Office and design templates for the majority of applications. These were all completed on schedule, and uploaded to BDO’s new online brand centre.

Julia Henniker-Heaton, Director, Brand and Marketing at BDO said:

“This is a very exciting change for BDO and is the culmination of many years of strategic and operational investment and engagement. It demonstrates our member firms’ commitment to provide a seamless, integrated service delivering the highest quality advice to all our clients across the world. It confirms our position as a competitor to not only the largest, but all other businesses operating in our marketplace.

“Working with highly experienced people from the boutique agencies Fairley & Associates and Greentarget enabled us to construct a project team that effectively acted as our internal support. Their collaborative and fully reactive approach augmented our in-house team in an efficient and integrated manner. As a result, engagement was ensured from internal stakeholders throughout the process and we successfully refreshed our brand from within.”

NOTE TO EDITORS

Imagery available from Greentarget on request. Please contact Jeff Watt, +44 (020) 7680 5050, jeff.watt@greentarget.net

BDO International is a world wide network of public accounting firms, called BDO Member

Firms. Each BDO Member Firm is an independent legal entity in its own country.
The network is coordinated by BDO Global Coordination B.V., incorporated in The Netherlands with its statutory seat in Eindhoven (trade register registration number 33205251) and with an office at Boulevard de la Woluwe 60, 1200 Brussels, Belgium, where the International Executive Office is located.

BDO is the brand name for the BDO international network and for each of the BDO Member Firms.

The combined fee income of all the BDO Member Firms was $5.14 billion in 2008. The global network has 1,095 offices in 110 countries and more than 44,000 partners and staff provide business advisory services throughout the world.

Contact: Julia Henniker-Heaton, +(32 2) 778 0130, bdoglobal@bdoglobal.com www.bdointernational.com

Fairley & Associates work with companies and agencies to effect change, solve immediate business challenges and build long term capabilities in brand, marketing and engagement. Our clients report greater traction within their organisations and in the marketplace.

Contact: Rachel Fairley, +44 (0)7714 098 324, rachel@fairleyassociates.com. www.fairleyassociates.com

Greentarget is a strategic communications consultancy specialising in public relations, internal communications, branding and design. We manage and enhance our clients' reputations and their brands by employing the full spectrum of communication channels.

Contact: Jeff Watt, +44 (020) 7680 5050, jeff.watt@greentarget.net www.greentarget.net

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