Next in our series of ‘Meet the Team’ blogs here’s Chris, our Client Services Director and co-founder of 1973 Ltd. With a passion for meeting people, creative programming and finding solutions to complex problems, Chris is ideally befitting for managing client services within the business.
Starting his digital career on a Vic-20 back in 1982 when he was a mere boy, his love for all things computerised started to flourish. A true developer at heart, he went on to study Computer Studies finding multimedia was his thing. Adoring the endless possibilities of combining visuals, animation, video, text and sound, he has now been in the industry for over 20 years and is still going strong. Here’s what he had to say during his interview:
Q: What is a typical day like in the office?
There is no ‘typical’ day in my role, which is why I like it so much. One day I can be working at a strategic level, looking at campaign design and delivery, the next reviewing industry news from a client and technical perspective to identify opportunities that may be appropriate to our business.
On a daily basis I dip in and out various tasks which may include client meetings, account handling and management, researching target markets to scoping out and pricing up jobs. My role also involves diving into the intricacies of coding and building out campaign assets. This enables me to identify obstacles that may impact on a project so I can liaise with the client and the internal team to find a suitable solution.
Q: What does your ideal client look like?
Now that is the question! I enjoy working with all our clients, they all come with different requirements, challenges and perspectives. That’s why I find people so interesting.
I particularly enjoy working with those who embrace change with enthusiasm and have a positive outlook. People who are forward thinking, open to new ideals and always on the lookout for ways of doing things better.
One thing that is important though is that they are realistic and have a clear understanding as to whether their ideas are actually achievable. Having both feet on the ground is crucial if we are going to create something that not only delivers against objectives, but offers a great user experience.
Q: What’s the best bit about your job?
There are so many things that make my job ‘amazing’ that it is difficult to pinpoint the best bit, but I’ll give it a go.
The word ‘Creativity’ springs to mind, my role offers endless opportunities to be creative. From exploring new technologies to see how they could fit with client projects, to seeking new ways of doing things – we like to be leading edge in everything we do, it’s something we thrive off.
To give you some examples, this year we have further enhanced our skills within Eloqua and Marketo, we’ve also adopted Salesforce to streamline the integration between CRM and email marketing. This has allowed us to offering new approaches to segmentation, automation and personalisation to our clients so their marketing communications are more relevant and engaging to their audience – and we can measure it!
Another thing I really love is meeting people and seeing how we can work in collaboration. Combining skills and knowledge and then mashing them together tends to offer the best solutions, often coming up with something really special. It’s good seeing projects progress from the initial client meeting to the final finished result – this is one of my greatest motivations.
Q: What’s next for your role?
My role is continually evolving which is exciting. Key to growth and the success of the business, one of my core functions over the coming year will be to focus on new business development opportunities and creating alliances with more agencies.
Another element, which is as crucially important, is the on-boarding process to ensuring all new clients receive a quality and professional experience to build strong, long-term partnerships.
As the business continues to expand, recruiting the right staff is essential. I will be heavily involved in taking on the right talent, ensuring we hire people with not only leading edge skills, but who also hold the same values as our company. We pride ourselves in delivering a friendly, personal service so it is imperative they fit with our company culture.
