What 2020 has reminded all of us of, time and time again, is that we’re very lucky to have such a friendly, welcoming bunch of people to work with, who are kind, compassionate and amazing at their jobs, even under the challenging circumstances of working during a pandemic.
When we looked back at 2020, we found a number of successes to be proud of including client wins, meeting the challenge of working remotely, returning to the office, then moving to a new office and finally having great fun at our virtual Christmas party.
There’s no doubt about it – 2020 will go down as one of the worst years in history for the world, but despite this we managed to find highpoints, reasons to be grateful and achievements to be proud of.
Here are our top five highlights of the year.
Client wins
Despite the pandemic, we were delighted to win an array of new clients during 2020! Our agency works across a diverse mix of B2B and consumer sectors, with clients including property developers, membership associations, insurance providers and brokers, logistics firms, law firms, building materials suppliers, gaming companies, energy companies and well-known food and drink brands, amongst many more. So, there was no need to pivot into uncharted sectors. We were able win new business and take care of our team in one of the most disruptive years our economy has experienced in recent history.
Working remotely
We’re very fortunate that as a PR agency, our work really lends itself to working remotely. Armed with our laptops and mobile phones we were able to segway very neatly into working from home, adapt and thrive.
Technology was a huge help and we developed a love of using Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Hangouts. But it certainly presented fresh challenges in terms of getting hold of journalists who weren’t in their offices to answer the phones. Some titles had to pause publication or change their business model. Just look at City AM which had an extremely successful pickup model targeted at high value commuters hopping on trains to work in central London. It announced it was suspending its print edition in March and went online only until commuters return to the city.
What we did find when we got to speak to journalists was that they really appreciated the chance to have a chat with another human being! And so did we!
Return to the office
It was brief but it was glorious to be with everyone again. Instead of messaging a colleague on teams or calling them on the phone, we could chat across our desks over a nice cup of tea. No need to push a button to talk, no waving our arms in the air saying: “You’re on mute,” or a briefly puzzled look followed by: “Oh you’ve frozen.”
We even went to the pub together after work! We’re very fortunate that working remotely is so easy for us and we can continue to deliver great results. But the truth is we miss each other. We miss being able to have a laugh and a giggle together. We miss conversations and ideas being sparked from working in the same space, instead of having to make a point of clicking the mouse, hitting call on our mobiles or arranging a video call on Teams. We miss seeing our clients face to face and we are really looking forward to visiting their offices soon, as well as seeing more of Brighton and the other cities and towns they’re based in.
A new office
Did we mention we moved into a new office at the end of the summer and that it’s amazing? It’s right in the centre of Brighton’s buzzing North Laine. The area’s been a bit on the quiet side this last year but when we eventually go back to Never Normal Brighton we’ll be able to whizz up to the train station for client meetings in London, nip to eclectic and downright eccentric shops in the North Laine and pop to all the cool quirky pubs together after work. We’re all longing to go to the pub together again – it’s a place where friendships will be strengthened face to face and happy memories made.
Our new office is in a Georgian town house with beautiful views over St Peter’s Church, a piano, a chandelier in the boardroom and a whole host of office dogs who come and visit. Oh and did we mention there are DJ decks? Can’t wait for the back to work party – when we can of course!
We’re sharing the building with a few well-known Brighton creative agencies and this is already fuelling collaboration. It was a very exciting move and we can’t wait to enjoy it in all its glory!
The office Christmas party
It was virtual – it had to be due to Covid, but we still had a whale of a time! There was a luxury food and drinks hamper of local treats delivered to our doors, a party pack involving hats, crackers and terrible Christmas cracker jokes and the chance to kick back and chat with our colleagues and friends.
We all agreed how much we miss each other and how much we’re looking forward to being together again. We’ve been taking time to go on socially distanced walks together in groups of two, calling each other up to boost morale and help one another to get through this.
What 2020 has reminded all of us of, time and time again, is that we’re very lucky to have such a friendly, welcoming bunch of people to work with, who are kind, compassionate and amazing at their jobs, even under the challenging circumstances of working during a pandemic.
We couldn’t be prouder of our team and our agency. Here’s to an even better 2021!
