Aren’t things great when we all get along? Meetings work better when everyone agrees, and projects run better when everyone works well together. At AAD, we’ve built a culture of togetherness too. Whilst the individuals in our agency are fundamentally different people in terms of interests, attitudes and personalities, we share values and outlooks.
And that’s what unites us and keeps us together.
But this isn’t just by coincidence. As an ‘agency for good’, we are channelling every working moment into projects, products and platforms that make the world a better place, and to do that, we need a certain type of person to bring shared values to the table. We’re not saying that everyone at AAD carries their vegan lunch to work in a hemp bag (some of us do), but we all agree on the role that technology plays in improving life on earth.
How do we find clients that fit? How can you find an agency that fits?
There’s no magic button or secret strategy. For us, it’s simple: we talk, we listen. When talking to potential clients or new contacts, we are just as open, honest and realistic as we are in our blogs or social media posts. Because why wouldn’t we be? When listening to potential clients’ startup journeys or product goals, we are also optimistic about the potential that our technology expertise can bring to the project.
And really, that’s just about it. We share the same values and outlooks as our clients, and they can validate that (if they need to) by visiting our website, reading our content or seeing our social media posts. This builds trust, empathy, understanding and companionship – aspects that are often overlooked in business.
In it for the long haul
By creating these meaningful connections early on, we are able to build long-lasting relationships with our clients. Rather than turning around a singular piece of work, invoicing, and saying goodbye, we are able to stick by clients as their product or platform evolves, and may even pick up new projects and ventures of theirs along the way.
Together, we learn better ways of doing things, we optimise our workflows, we can understand each other’s likes, dislike and working patterns (which is increasingly useful as more companies move to remote or hybrid working).
Ultimately, we don’t want to be churning through client after client for the sake of money in the bank. We’d like to be working on projects that we know are making the world a better place, and that takes time – time we are willing to invest when the client connection feels right.
Company values are more important than ever before
In the age of the B Corp, a company’s purpose, mission and values are becoming the reason why employees and clients want to work for particular brands. It’s no longer about the cool logo on the CV or the pull of international travel. Audiences are voting with their feet and only investing their time and money into organisations that are showing a clear commitment to sustainability, ethics, economic value and social issues.
So next time you find yourself rolling your eyes at the thought of ‘company values’, ask yourself “Why not?”.
It takes many businesses some time to find their true purpose, us included. But once we did, we found the work, the people we do the work for, and the people who work for us, immeasurably more fun and fulfilling.
Work with people who share your values in making the world a better place. It feels good, and it’s a great start in making your work and your business a force for good.
If you share our values and like the sound of how we do things, talk to us. We’re a technology agency ready to help you launch your next product, platform or service.