Birmingham-based digital agency Clever Cherry talk to Synergist about maintaining creativity and culture during growth.

1. www.synergist.co.uk
MAINTAINING AN AGENCY’S
C R EAT I V I TY & C U LT U R E
DURING GROWTH
Thanks to
for their
insights on this topic. clevercherry are a Birminghambased 30-strong team of creative and digital specialists.
Nigel Wilson
Managing Director
Contributions by:
Ian Allen
Founder
Deep Sangar
Production Manager
2 Y EA RS O F C O N STA N T C H A N G E
Deep Sangar, Production Manager
“WE’VE JUST BEEN THROUGH 24 MONTHS OF MAJOR
CHANGE.
NEW PREMISES.
GLASS.
NEW LAYOUT. OPEN PLAN.
7 LIVE WEBCAMS FOR ALL TO SEE US! TOTAL TRANSPARENCY
T E A M E X PA N S I O N .
15
FROM
30
TO
PEOPLE
D U E TO N E W A C C O U N T W I N S A N D C L I E N T D E V E LO P M E N T
N E W S Y S T E M : S Y N E R G I S T. WE PREVIOUSLY
USED A BASIC JOB BAG SYSTEM. PRIOR TO THAT, WE SIMPLY
USED
I N T E R N A L LY
DEVELOPED
S P R E A D S H E E T S .”
D I D A LL TH IS CHA N G E A FFECT T H E I R
C U LT U R E & C R E AT I V I T Y ?
“I T ’S A FA N TA ST I C WO R K I N G
E N V I RO N M E N T H E R E”
“I T ’S A H A P P Y P L AC E TO WO R K”
“N I G E L A N D I A N A R E G R EAT B O S S ES”
“ T H E Y G I V E YO U R ES P O N S I B I L I T Y”
“ T H E Y E M P LOY R EA L LY TA L E N T E D P EO P L E, A N D M A K E
S U R E T H E Y S E E YO U A S O N E”
“I T A L L P U L L S TO G E T H E R. T H E AT M O S P H E R E I S B R I L L I A N T ”
Nigel Wilson, Managing Director
“O U R C R EAT I V I T Y I S A S H I G H A S E V E R,
AND
W E’R E
P L EA S E D
THE
C U LT U R E
IS
TO
SAY
R EA L LY
T H AT
WO R K I N G.
T H AT ’S V E RY I M P O RTA N T TO U S H E R E”
Recent work by
clevercherry
W HY IS R ETA I N I N G TH E CU LTU R E
I M P O R TA N T T O T H E M ?
“I T ’S W H O W E A R E. YO U D O N’ T WA N T
TO LO S E T H E I M P O RTA N T A S P EC T S
O F YO U R P E RS O N A L I T Y A N D
W H AT YO U STA N D F O R. W E’V E
5
G OT P EO P L E H E R E W H O C A N R E M E M B E R
W H E N T H E R E W E R E O N LY
I N T H E C O M PA N Y”
P EO P L E
“I B E L I E V E T H AT C U LT U R E I S T H E K E Y
I N O U R I N D U ST RY. I A N A L L E N
S E T T H E TO N E O F T H E C U LT U R E
H E R E. A N D N OW W E’R E R U N N I N G
W I T H I T AT F U L L S P E E D.”
“I N T WO WO R D S: W E’R E TA L K I N G
O P E N N ES S A N D
E M P OW E R M E N T ”
ABOUT
“I T ’S ST I L L A J O U R N E Y. N OT H I N G
H A P P E N S AU TO M AT I C A L LY. YO U
H AV E TO WO R K AT I T A L L T H E
T I M E. B U T I T ’S E XC I T I N G TO F E E L T H E
B U Z Z A RO U N D H E R E”
Ian Allen, Founder
D U B I O U S T H AT
“F R A N K LY I WA S
W E C O U L D M A I N TA I N O U R C U LT U R E A N D
K E E P C R EAT I V I T Y L E V E L S H I G H W I T H A L L
T H ES E C H A N G ES. A N D I M P L E M E N T I N G
SY N E R G I ST O N TO P O F I T A L L! A N D
H E R E O F A L L P L AC ES!
B E L I E V E M E, I F
YO U
C A N M A K E I T WO R K
A N Y W H E R E...”
YO U C A N M A K E I T WO R K H E R E,
A N D C L E V E R C H E R RY T O D AY ?
“SY N E R G I ST P U L L S E V E RY T H I N G
TO G E T H E R...”
“... J O B S, EST I M AT I N G, S C H E D U L I N G, P U R C H A S E O R D E RS,
Q U OTAT I O N S”
“I T T E L L S M E I M M E D I AT E LY A B O U T T H E STAT E O F E V E RY
J O B, T H E R EQ U I S I T I O N S, T H E T I M E R E M A I N I N G, T H E T I M E
Q U OT E D, E V E RY T H I N G”
“I T F L AG S U P P RO B L E M S EA R LY O N”
“AT T H E E N D
“I G E N E R AT E A R E P O RT T H AT S H OW S
A L L T H E K E Y I N F O R M AT I O N, W H I C H I
USE TO EMAIL THE ACCOUNT MANAGERS
W I T H U P DAT ES, S L I P PAG ES E TC. ”
O F E V E RY
DAY...”
“I T M A K ES I T EA S I E R T H A N
E V E R F O R M E TO WO R K
W I T H T H E AC C O U N T
M A N AG E RS A N D WO R K
O U T W H AT W E N E E D TO
D O TO K E E P O N T R AC K”
“AT A Q U I C K
GLANCE I
CAN SEE
EVERYTHING...”
“I T ’S V E RY F L E X I B L E. I T ’S A
G R EAT SYST E M.”
STUDIO HAS BENEFITTED GREATLY. IT’S REMOVED A LOT
OF ADMIN FROM THEM. IT’S CLEANED EVERYTHING UP. MADE IT
“THE
SLICK. NO MORE POST-IT NOTES FLYING AROUND! NO MORE PHYSICAL
TIMESHEETS! NO, WE WOULDN’T GO BACK TO ALL THAT NOW.”
CHANGE.
“OF COURSE SOME PEOPLE ARE WARY OF
A FEW
WERE SCEPTICAL. I MIGHT EVEN HAVE BEEN ONE MYSELF! BUT
IT ONLY TAKES A VERY
SMALL TIME
TO ADAPT TO NEW
THINGS. THE SYSTEM MAKES THEIR LIVES EASIER. AFTERWARDS,
YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING “WHAT WAS ALL THE
FUSS ABOUT”
Recent work by
clevercherry
“FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS WE’VE BEEN
INVESTING IN PEOPLE, PREMISES AND THE
SYSTEM. EVERYTHING’S CONNECTED NOW.
IT’S ALL COME TOGETHER. IT’S PAYING OFF,
AND I CAN BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF!”
"YO U ' v e g o t t o T H I N K FA S T
TODAY. AN ACCOUNT MANAGER ASKS YOU
ABOUT SOME COSTINGS. WITH THE HISTORY
OF PREVIOUS JOBS IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU
CAN SAY ‘HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE.’ IT
MAKES DECISION-MAKING EASIER AND MORE
TRANSPARENT”
“WE NO LONGER HAVE TO RELY ON
AND
EXPERIENCE
GUT INSTINCT
ALONE. IT’S THERE IN
BLACK & WHITE. SYNERGIST GIVES ME THE REPORTS I NEED”.
“IT’S
E D U C AT I N G
THE TEAM. THEY MAKE
BETTER DECISIONS NOW. IT PROMOTES SELFEDUCATION. TEAM MEMBERS ARE MUCH MORE
AWA R E
NOW OF WHAT COSTS GO INTO
A JOB. IT MEANS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE’RE
BENEFITTING FROM SYNERGIST
T O D AY ,
NEXT YEAR WE’LL BENEFIT EVEN MORE...
“WE’VE
CHANGED BEYOND RECOGNITION
IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. BUT WE STILL HAVE
AT OUR CORE”
WHO WE ARE
“CLIENTS ARE MORE
SAVVY.
THEIR
FRUGAL
BUDGETS
HAVE
TODAY, MORE
BEEN
TIGHTENED.
THEIR £ HAS TO GO FURTHER. SO YOU HAVE TO
NEVER
BEEN MORE IMPORTANT
TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER
EFFICIENTLY”
RESPOND. IT’S
‘
SY N E R G I ST H A S H E L P E D U S B E M O R E
SCALABLE.
P EO P L E A R E
MORE EMPOWERED NOW.
D EC I S I O N S
T H AT
USED
TO
D RO P
RELENTLESSLY I N TO M Y L A P E V E RY
DAY A R E N OW TA K I N G P L AC E W I T H
NO FUSS. THAT’S A PAYOFF
T H AT K E E P S O N PAY I N G...
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www.synergist.co.uk/info
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