Fall into Change at RNN!
Change is in the air at RNN as we dive into the last quarter of 2024, ramping up to make 2025 our best yet. We’re thrilled to welcome Sarah Hanna as our new Account Director, joining forces with Arlene Foy, who’s been our media relations associate since summer. With Sarah’s knack for all-rounder marketing, from British Cycling to top agency experience, we’ve got a fresh injection of expertise in camp RNN!
Why we love new faces: They bring fresh ideas, innovative approaches, and keep us growing. Real talk: none of us has it all figured out. I told a team member just last week, “If you’re not learning, you’re…well, let’s just say, you’re not really living.” With Sarah leading accounts and Arlene’s media expertise, our talent is officially levelled up, and we couldn’t be more excited!
To Pitch or Not to Pitch: Our New Business Approach
It's open season on pitches, with new opportunities popping into my inbox every week. But let’s be realistic, for an agency that’s busy delivering, and selective about pitching, we need to tread carefully on which pitches to partake in. So, how do we decide?
Here’s my personal four-point checklist:
For public sector pitches, it’s a straightforward filter on the above. For the private sector, it gets trickier. If they ask us for “worked-up” plans (ideas and strategy!), we charge. Time is our currency, and we respect it by making sure it’s valued. So we don’t offer ideas or worked-up plans for free; instead, we invest our time and charge for the plan creation – meaning if the client decides we’re not the right fit, we still walk away with our time well spent, and we haven't worked for free.
And guess what? This rules us out on some pitches. Recently, we turned down a speculative pitch after the potential client couldn’t agree to pay for the plan. They already had four other agencies willing to pitch, but we saw that as a win. Why spend two days creating a proposal with a slim chance of success?
Who We Are: From the Client’s Eyes
At a recent meetup with some longtime clients and peers, I was curious about how they saw us. I expected to hear words like “creative,” “innovative,” and “energetic.” What I heard instead? “Constant,” “reliable,” “approachable,” “on our team,” “solutions-focused.” Not exactly flashy, but in a world where basics seem rare, they mean everything.
Turns out, business owners value reliability and relationship-building even more than I thought. And it’s why many of our clients stay with us year after year – we show up, listen, and always have their corner. So maybe consistency isn’t boring after all; it’s just rare.
Back to Basics: RNN’s Focus on Growth (and a Little Help from You!)
Yes, we’ve been a bit quiet on the marketing front, pulling back to manage agency changes and get through a busy September and October. But as they say, a cobbler’s shoes…well, they’re getting polished now! We’re ramping up our content, social, and visual presence again, as we would for any of our clients.
So, here’s a little request: If you like what you’re reading, please sign up to our newsletter by clicking here and please share our newsletter, or pass it along to anyone who might want to join our circle. We love sharing our musings with a wider audience, so please do help us to grow.
Until next time – over and out!
RN
