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THIS ISSUE >>E-SCOOTERS COME TO BATH (69) >>LIBRARY OF THINGS DELIVERY SERVICE (70) >>BATH KITCHEN COMPANY (76)

Scooters: the best way to travel?

Scoot over

Bath is joining a pilot scheme that’ll see a new mode of public transport take to the roads of our city: the electric scooter. Bath is one of a handful of locations involved in the West of England trial of the e-scooter scheme, which it is hoped will provide an eco-friendly and Covid-safe alternative mode of public transportation. For the next 12 months, you’ll be able to hire a Voi Technology e-scooter to get around the city. Even better, the scheme brings 60 new jobs to the area. “With social distancing in place on public transport, our e-scooter trial is a chance for us to try a new, low carbon way to get our region moving, particularly up and down the big hills we have in both Bristol and Bath,” says Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor. Initially, there will be 50 scooters available for hire in Bath, with more set to become available over the coming months. The scooters cost £1 to unlock and 20p per minute to use, with subscription options and discounts

Lucy Yu, Tim Bowles and Dine Romero at the Bath launch of the e-scooter initiative

available for students, key workers and those on low incomes. To learn more about how it’s all going to work, visit: www.voiscooters.com

*T&C’s apply

1% OF THE FEE YOU PAY IS DONATED TO YOUR LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOL*

With normal fundraising for schools being non-existent they need our help more than ever.

Help us to help your school by selling your home with Bath Stone Property. Sales and Letting

Contact the Bath Stone Property team today for help and advice on how we can get you moving safely.

LIBRARY OF THINGS Bath’s Library of Things has seen loans, which will help us all reduce a surge in demand since relocating traffi c congestion and car emissions,” to the city centre in the summer, says Lorna Montgomery, founder of and now its lending options are Share And Repair. expanding further with a new As well as helping the delivery service. Based on Broad environment, deliveries could prove Street, the Library stocks a wide useful for anyone shielding over the range of useful items that you winter, or who’s otherwise unable to can borrow for a week or so for travel into town. a small fee. Share And Repair also holds

The charity behind the scheme, regular repair sessions at the Broad Share And Repair, has been loaned Street store and at venues around a cargo bike by B&NES Council Bath, where teams of volunteers fi x so it can test out the service to everything from clothes to coff ee assess demand. makers. Thanks to the cargo bike,

“The bike means people will no items for repair can now be collected longer need to make a special journey and returned. into town to pick up or drop off their For more: www.shareandrepair.org.uk

The Library of Things on Broad Street now offers deliveries by bike

WYLDE CHILD

Eight-year-old Matilda is the proud winner of Wylde Jeweller’s Kids Jewellery Design Competition. Picked from around 50 entrants age 6-16, Matilda’s winning fl oral circular pendant design has been turned into the real thing – a beautiful sterling silver set with coloured enamels. Matilda was overjoyed with the result, calling the pendant ‘awesome’ and ‘so shiny’ – and, during her visit to the store with her mother, owner Nicholas Wylde commented that he would be only too happy to interview her for a job when the day comes. For more: www.nicholaswylde.com

© ADAM CARTER

Tamsin Harrisson, Jon Morgan and Charlotte Snowden enjoying last year’s celebration

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

The clock is ticking to nominate your company for the Bath Property Awards. Nominations close on Thursday 26 November at midday.

The Awards are open to any company working in the property scene in Bath, whether as an agent, developer, architect, designer or property-focused fi nancial and legal company.

Finalists will be revealed at midday on 2 December by email, Twitter and on the Awards site.

“It’s been inspiring to see the amount of interest yet again for the Bath Property Awards despite the current situation,” says Annie Miekus, manager at MediaClash, organisers of the Bath Property Awards. “If you’ve not entered yet, there’s still time – it’s never been more needed to celebrate all of the well-earned achievements in our community.”

Companies self-nominate via the Awards website and can enter multiple categories.

Hundreds of companies have got involved so far, whether as judges, nominees, attendees or sponsors like Headline sponsor Mogers Drewett, APS Homes, Hawker Joinery, L&C Mortgages, Spaces, South West Business Finance, Triangle Networks and Bath Life itself. For more information on how to get involved through sponsorship, please contact annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk www.bathpropertyawards.co.uk @BathPropertyAwd

Matilda was thrilled to see her design brought to life

Meet the new faces on the Bath business scene

Sammy Burt is using her branding expertise in her new company, BACKPACK

Sammy Burt, brand and culture partner

What does BACKPACK do? The short answer is brand and culture, but in truth BACKPACK works with organisations to help them better understand what they are when they’re at their best – to define it, embed it and live it!

By listening to their people, their customers and the marketplace, we can define the experience that is already true when the organisation is at its best. Then we apply that to every aspect of the company, from brand and communication to cultural alignment.

We bring people together, help them hear one another and galvanise them to act.

BACKPACK is now a BCorp. What does that mean for you? I believe that anyone that has the honour of someone’s attention has a responsibility to that audience. A Bcorp defines the example they want to set and is held accountable for it. BCorp aims to create a movement of businesses that balance profit and purpose. Although BACKPACK is just me for now, I want to start as I mean to go on – with purpose firmly in my strategy, the business infrastructure and the financial planning.

It means so much to be alongside BCorps like Patagonia, Riverford, Pukka and TOMS, having a proactive and positive impact on the world, however small that is (for now!).

What have been some of the challenges of setting up? BACKPACK started in March 2020, so I should probably say ‘starting a business during lockdown’ – but in truth, I have been hugely lucky to have secured some awesome organisations and projects both locally and internationally pretty quickly. My biggest challenge was actually capacity, and maintaining a work/life harmony with a toddler at home in the first couple of months. As a family we rolled with it, and clients entertained the odd snotty cameo on Zoom. For more: www.yourbackpack.co.uk

MOVERS AND SHAKERS ETC

EUREKA MOMENT Dr Asel Sartbaeva from the University of Bath has won the Emerging Technologies competition run by the Royal Society of Chemistry Dr Asel Satbaeva’s work could help children RSC for her around the globe get vaccinated breakthrough work making vaccines safer for children around the globe. Dr Sartnaeva and her team from the Department of Chemistry are being recognised for their ensilication system, which allows vaccines to be transported and stored without refrigeration – even at temperatures as high as 100°C.

“This win means a lot not just for me but for all in our team. Having recognition from the RSC is really important – it will help us connect with vaccine manufacturers to build new partnerships, which is what we need right now,” says Dr Sartbaeva. www.bath.ac.uk

STRAIGHT SHOOTERS Chartered accountants Haines Watts have joined the Team Bath netball family as the Superleague side’s principal sponsor.

“We have both staff and clients who are already netball fans and this felt like a way of showing support for them, too,” says Geoffrey Fairclough, a director of Haines Watts in Bristol. “We have watched the growth of netball in our region and the strength, determination and professionalism of the women behind Team Bath netball who are making this a true South

West success story on the national stage. We hope to help them continue to flourish on this journey.” For more: www.hwca.com

NEW FACES Yasmine Machin is joining Awdry Bailey & Douglas Solicitors, one of Wiltshire’s leading law firms. A highly experienced licensed conveyancer, Yasmine specialises in residential conveyancing.

“We knew Yasmine was the perfect fit for us as she demonstrates our three core values. She’s prompt, proactive and enjoys working closely with her clients, using her extensive, real-life expertise to ensure that their move proceeds smoothly and successfully,” says Ronna Turley, partner and head of conveyancing at Awdry Bailey & Douglas. www.awdrys.co.uk

MAN ABOUT TOWN

Independent menswear retailer Suave Owl has moved to Bath. Their new premises on Milsom Street is more than ten times the size of their former space in Keynsham, which they opened back in 2017. With the help of a £40,000 funding package from NatWest, Suave Owl’s founders Anthony and Jessica Harvey have transformed their new Milsom Street building into a three-story retail space, showroom and business HQ.

“Keynsham was the ideal location to establish our business but we wanted to expand and relocate to a location with increased footfall. Thanks to the funding from NatWest, we have been able to secure a central position on one of the best shopping streets in the UK,” says Anthony. “We are excited to

Anthony and Jessica have given their Milsom Street shop a complete overhaul

build our customer base from our new Bath store, grow our team and expand our off ering for both men and women in the coming months.” For more: www.suaveowl.co.uk

The WEIoT launch was, as you’d expect, virtual and high-tech

FUTURE THINKERS

The West of England Institute for Technology (WEIoT) opened last month. A consortium of education providers and key employers across the West of England, the WEIoT counts Bath College among its number. Institutes of Technology will be at the forefront of technical training, off ering STEM education and training to prepare students for a career in key sectors like advanced manufacturing, engineering, construction and infrastructure and digital.

“Bath College is delighted to be part of this ground-breaking initiative,” says Laurel Penrose, principal and chief executive of Bath College. “The opportunities this will bring to our students through the collaboration with employers and fellow colleges and universities is signifi cant as it brings together the expertise of industry, state-of-the-art resources and strength and depth of Further Education skills delivery. This will be of huge benefi t to Bath and North East Somerset, as well as the whole wider region.” For more: www.bathcollege.ac.uk

Annie Sloan is a colour expert, artist and author

ALL KEYED UP

The Piano Shop Bath has sold a one-of-a-kind instrument for charity. The John Broadwood piano was transformed at the hands of famed chalk painter Annie Sloan and the stool created by artist Charlotte Macmillian, with proceeds from the sale of the unique piece going to the Arts & Culture Programme at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW). Run by UHBW’s charity Above & Beyond, the £2,495 from the sale will support projects ‘above and beyond’ what the NHS can provide – in this case, research into the health benefi ts of the arts.

“Annie has hand painted and signed the piano which makes this piece totally unique,” says Jon Kelly, owner of The Piano Shop Bath. Along with Charlotte, we were all very keen to do something to honour and help our healthcare workers and this seemed like the perfect way to do just that. The piano and stool are beautiful and will make wonderful, eye-catching additions.” For more: www.thepianoshopbath.co.uk

The one-off piano sold for £2,495

Ben ran a family clothing manufacturing unit in Istanbul

BIZ Q&A City Tailors

Ben Aydin has run City Tailors on Milsom Street for the last decade. Here, he lets us in on a few secrets of the industry

First of all, tell us about City Tailors. What service do you provide? At City Tailors we provide bespoke tailoring, made to measure suits and clothing alteration, including leather garments and vintage clothing restorations.

You’ve had the business in Bath for about 10 years. What’s the secret to your longevity? We established a great network with local retailers and boutiques by building trust that the quality of service we provide is always the same, so they can off er those services to their customers knowing that the work will be done perfectly every time. Doing what we do best each and every time helps us to stay in business.

Have you always been a tailor? I’ve been in the clothing business from a young age. I was running our family clothing manufacturing unit in Istanbul at the age of 17, which was set up by my brother Mehmet and I. I moved to London in 1995 and was running a textile factory by 1998, by then making many diff erent types of clothing. Becoming a tailor was a surprise; we were running a men’s outfi tter’s business in Swindon where I met master tailor John Virgo, who was a Saville Row tailor. Working alongside John, I learnt how to make bespoke, handmade suits using classic English tailoring techniques – I’ve been using the same technique to make suits for the past 15 years.

What does a typical day at City Tailors look like for you? I am performing fi ttings for alterations throughout the day, working with the team to make sure all work is completed to our high standards. There’ll be several visits to the retailers such as TM Lewin, Gieves and Hawkes, Moss Bros etc., to do fi ttings for their clients and work on making bespoke suits. What are some of challenges in your industry? There is a skills shortage. The tailors using classic English tailoring techniques are mostly retired or reaching retirement age. It takes years to develop the skills to become a tailor and we don’t have enough young people getting into the industry.

What do you love about your work? I love being creative and designing suits and outfi ts, and seeing the resulting suit on. I also enjoy clients coming with an outfi t that doesn’t fi t them and trusting us to alter or redesign it.

Have you noticed the drive for sustainability and keeping clothes for longer impacting your client base? We have seen more people coming to get existing clothes altered, repaired or modernised. I have also noticed that more people are investing in

“I LEARNT HOW TO MAKE BESPOKE, HANDMADE SUITS USING CLASSIC ENGLISH TAILORING TECHNIQUES”

quality clothes, and wearing them longer. Better fi tting clothes get worn more often and for longer because they make wearer feel more confi dent.

Tell us more about the bespoke tailoring service. Initial consultation takes around an hour. During that, we discuss what the client wants before guiding them through style options and designs, helping them choose the cloth, position of the pockets or shape of the lapel. Once they’ve decided what they want, I take up to 40 measurements and assess the posture and look to accentuate the client’s best features.

How long does the whole process take? A suit would be ready for basted fi tting – where the suit is put together with temporary stitches – within three weeks. During this fi rst fi tting adjustments are made, and a second fi tting is planned – this is when the garment will be closer to the fi nal product. There might be more fi ttings required to achieve best possible fi t, so timing varies.

What advice do you have for someone purchasing a bespoke garment for the fi rst time? Do your research, have a clear idea of what the suit is required for, and an idea of the colour and style you would want. Then, book an appointment for a free consultation with a tailor and arrive prepared with a list of questions to ask such as, where the suit will be made, the process, the tailor’s experience. Always check your tailor’s work and listen to their recommendations.

What do you look for in a good suit? Fabric quality is vital. I go for 100 per cent wool, a fl oating or full canvas construction and a slight roll on the lapel. Good fi t on shoulders and sleeve length is vital too. The best dressed man sticks to a classic that would look good today, and in 20 years’ time.

For more: City Tailors; 1st Floor, 25 Milsom Street; tel: 01225 920263; www.citytailors.co.uk

BIZ Q&A James Horsfall, Bath Kitchen Company

Now in its 30th year, James Horsfall shares the secrets to Bath Kitchen Company’s longevity

Tell us about coming up in the family business. Did you always know you’d join Bath Kitchen Company? It was never my plan to join the business, but after living abroad for a number of years, on my return I started working part time with my dad, who started the company, and worked my way up from there. This is our 30th year designing and making kitchens in Bath, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this legacy.

What was apprenticing with your dad like? It was an amazing opportunity my dad gave me, allowing to work with him, and I got to know him so much more though it. Our working style complemented each other, and he took great pride in passing on his wisdom and knowledge, which I’m incredibly grateful for.

What’s your role now? My role is director of Bath Kitchen Company. I create every design and oversee every project, making sure that each client is happy from start to finish.

Talk us through a working day... There isn’t always a typical day for me. I’ll spend hours in the studio designing, then meeting new people and looking at their homes. I go to visit building sites to see things progressing, and also manage the installation of our projects.

What should people look for in a kitchen design company? When deciding on a kitchen designer for your home, look for a company with a lot of experience, and a proven track record, somebody who isn’t in a rush, and is willing to give time and thought to each stage of your project – that person will ensure that your dream kitchen is brought to life.

Can you tell us about a project you really loved working on and why I created a kitchen where most of the units were made out of mirrored brass, and this was a very fun project. It was nice to have a challenge, and something different to do, as there are no limits to what we can make. We’ve also been recently asked to design furniture for an orangery, which includes a hidden bar.

What do you consider the most important elements of a well-designed kitchen? The harmony between functionality and design. It should be a space that equally feels like you have everything at your fingertips to cook, and also the aesthetics to entertain. We recently had a client who returned from holiday, and when they walked in the kitchen, they just smiled and felt they were home. The kitchen is the core of the house, and it should naturally draw the family together.

What’s your own kitchen like? After recently getting married, we are about to start our own renovation project in a beautiful Georgian townhouse. At this stage we’re playing around with dark and moody cabinetry, bold calacatta oro marble, and some aged brass finishes. My wife is an interior designer from Sydney, and her love for light and open-plan spaces is something we hope to bring into our home.

What are some of the biggest kitchen trends we should be on the lookout for right now? The use of bold marble and quartzite is still very popular, and vibrant use of colour. Green and darker hued cabinetry are making a splash, along with the use of oversized lights. Using materials and products that are eco-friendly and sustainable is always in style.

Who would be your dream client? My dream client would be chef Yotam Ottolenghi. I’m a huge fan of his cook books, and I love his enthusiasm for colourful, healthy food. When I saw him cook at his last book launch, I could see that his passion and creativity really came through. I can imagine he’d want to be a big part of the design process to create the perfect cook’s kitchen.

For more: Bath Kitchen Company; 7-9 North Parade Buildings, BA1 1NS; tel: 01225 312003; www.bathkitchencompany.co.uk

BUSINESS CLUB

Virtual one hour sessions, all free to attend

Search Bath Life on LinkedIn for upcoming dates and registration

If you would like to get involved, please email events@mediaclash.co.uk

BATH LIFE AWARDS 2020 Kent Barker, owner of EIGHT STONY STREET, refl ects on the restaurant’s win

Vanessa Emery and Kent Barker celebrating their win

You won! Congratulations! Talk us through the night I really had no expectation to win. The category was incredibly strong and we were relatively unknown. Flats ran through the Awards so the build-up was not horrendous, and my daughter and I were not too nervous – but then we got announced! I was blown away, but luckily Flats is a friend, so no nerves on the stage. I tried to make a funny speech using a quote from the footballer Vinnie Jones (which was met with stony silence) so I got off fast…

How did you celebrate? Unfortunately on the night I had to drive (I told you I really was not expecting to win), so the next day with my management team we had a bit of a party and celebrated with Bollinger RD 2004, Corton Charlmagne Grand Cru 2002, and a stunning new world Chardonnay. The award sits on our bar at Eight Stony Street for all to see.

Tell us a little about Eight Stony Street... I set up Eight Stony Street with the express purpose of bringing wine to customers in a new and exciting way, and to that end we set up our ground-

RESTAURANT WINNER

SPONSORED BY

breaking shop, bar and restaurant just over two years ago and opened for our fi rst customers in February 2019. I’ve been in the wine industry for 25 years so let’s face it – what else can I do?

What do you think it is about your business that helped you secure your Bath Life Award? We are a vibrant, high energy company that is always looking to improve. We genuinely want to give the people of Frome something they can call their own and be proud of, and I feel this philosophy really shines through.

What does winning the Award mean to you, the team and the business? It gave our team a huge boost after a hard Christmas and very quiet

“WE GENUINELY WANT TO GIVE THE PEOPLE OF FROME SOMETHING THEY CAN CALL THEIR OWN AND BE PROUD OF”

January, and – little did we know – also was real positive boost to our spirits as Covid hit in March.

Have you ever collaborated with other local businesses? I think the collaboration I have been most proud of has been with Bath Life during lockdown, when we ran online wine tastings to raise money for vital and struggling charities. This was a great source of positivity in very tough times and I never cease to be amazed how thankful people were we were doing it.

How might you describe your key clientele? Our key clientele are a huge range from Frome and wider Somerset who all have in common a love of great food and amazing wine. We see people coming back time after time either for amazing handmade sourdough pizza with a glass of our incredible Italian Falangina (think Pinot on steroids) or a full-blown three-course meal with the local steak from Penleigh Butchers (next door to us) and a bottle from our shop of incredible mature Claret.

What’s your philosophy? Give our customers the very best time we can whilst they are under our roof, whatever they are there for, and make our employees’ time working for us the very best we can.

What have you found to be the best tools for growth in your business? Continued customer engagement through events, innovation and striving every day to better than the last.

Is there someone in business that you admire and try to learn from? You will never stop learning and I try to take something from every member of the Stony team, be it the guys who work the wash area, my chefs or the senior managers.

Any moment you/the company have been particularly proud of? Obviously winning the Bath Life Award for Restaurant of the Year was a huge high point. The day we had 80 people on line for one of our Bath Life Eight Stony Street charity tastings was something I will remember for a long time, too.

What has the impact of the pandemic been on Eight Stony Street? We have been very lucky during the lockdown as we were able to reduce costs hugely and continue delivering pizza and wine throughout. It’s now that we’re feeling the challenge with various restrictions to our business and all support grinding to a halt. Through to spring next year is going to very tough. Luckily we are well placed and fi nancially strong enough to survive for the long term, and we see the next few months as an opportunity to grow and expand our business to a second and even third site.

For more: Eight Stony Street; Frome; 01373 470970; www.eightstonystreet.com

The right support for the most important purchase you’ll ever make

MEET THE AGENCY

Transform your business with the help of the experts

KEVIN TRIGGLE CHIEF WONDER DESIGNER, DIGITAL WONDERLAB 01225 220155; www.digitalwonderlab.com

You’ve changed your name, tell us more about that? Yes, its ‘hello’ to Digital Wonderlab! Exciting times for us, whilst not an ideal time to have a launch party, it’s certainly a good time to make this change – and for all the right reasons. Our previous name had outlived its purpose and didn’t reflect that we are about technology with purpose. We needed to be more distinctive, understood, and easily found by those who need us. Our ‘why’ is to delight our clients and the people they care about the most, to make life easier for society, to help organisations grow, and to give new businesses a great start using digital to lead the way.

What sets you apart from other agencies? We strive to help organisations across various sectors, especially those with a social purpose, to create and manage change that matters through digital transformation. We are fairly unique as we start with the ‘why’ and work through where our clients see themselves in the future – their vision. Helping them see things differently and gain clarity in what can be achieved enables us to turn their ambitious goals into reality through beautifully crafted technology. We like nothing better than empowering people to make a difference, supporting them to punch above their weight by helping them do more, do it better and do it faster! It has always been important to us to enhance user experience from the very start of any project we work on. It forms an important part of our customer-centric approach to designing the software solutions – whether that’s a website, mobile app, or custom piece of middleware connecting all the pieces of the customer’s digital world together and helping them talk to each other.

How have things in your industry changed in the last decade? So much! Aside from the fact that 10 years ago we’d only just seen the launch of the iPhone 4, the Oculus Rift hadn’t been invented and you were doing very well if your broadband speeds were above 5mbps. As predicted, smartphone usage and availability has soared globally and has overtaken desktop as the primary source of web traffic, not just for consumer but also B2B.

The thing I’ve noticed most from a design perspective, especially in the last few years, is we’ve seen a real change in the understanding of the term ‘user experience’ (UX). For years it had been added to every designer’s LinkedIn profile because they’d created some wireframes in Sketch, but over time real experts have emerged in the industry who understand the importance of focusing on the end-to-end experience the user has when dealing with your orgnaisation and why neglecting proper UX is such a mistake.

Which clients are you working with at the moment? Here at Digital Wonderlab we do a lot of work with charities, and one of the most recent ones we’ve worked with are Cerebral Palsy Cymru. We have also been working on a digital transformation including a new website build with The Charlie Waller Trust, a charity making a huge impact on mental health awareness and support, particularly for younger audiences.

Another large project soon to launch is for a credit union based on the south west. We’ve been working for many months to completely overhaul their online platform, which includes their website, secure members’ portal and application process, to better serve their members as well as improving and automating many of the backend processes.

PAUL MACKENZIE-CUMMINS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CLEARLY PR 0333 207 9477; www.clearlypr.co.uk

What sets you apart from other agencies? Clearly has never and will never sit still. The media landscape is constantly shifting, as is the way in which people want to receive and access information. We are able to adapt extremely quickly and innovate our offering, something which we have demonstrated throughout the last few months. We have a purpose beyond making money; we want to help people and do good.

What sort of clients are you working with at the moment? We work with local, national and international clients. Our client base includes one of the fastest growing law firms in the south west, a large-scale multinational tech recruitment company, an independent private school, and a global diversity consultancy.

What bespoke services do you offer? Every business is different, even in a saturated marketplace. Our job is to identify what makes our clients unique and tell that story through creative media relations and content marketing.

What are your plans moving forward? We have ambitious growth plans. Being based in central Bath, we want to help more local businesses, and, more importantly, we want to create employment opportunities to help those who are currently disadvantaged in the jobs market. STUART SMITH MANAGING DIRECTOR, MOSTLY MEDIA 01225 302270 www.mostlymedia.co.uk

What sort of clients are you working with at the moment? We work with a wide range of clients across multiple industries. Our longest standing (since 2001) is Harris Fowler, the personal injury solicitor. Others include FreePrints, Glasses Direct and Appeal Home Shading. Our latest is Look After My Bills, one of the largest ever Dragons’ Den investments.

What do you find most rewarding about your role? Most definitely the day to day variety. One day we are selling an Auto Switch Energy product and the next we are selling Sun Awnings. Getting under the skin of different businesses and understanding how each one operates differently is a real eye opener. One size definitely doesn’t fit all.

What project are you most proud of? We started working with FreePrints in 2016 when they launched in the UK. Our initial budgets for TV advertising were £10,000. They have now launched across Europe and spend in the region of £2m a year turning over £67m a year – now that is scaling at pace!

VERONICA HANNON MANAGING DIRECTOR, TRANSFORM COMMUNICATIONS LTD 01225 863846 www.transformcommunications.co.uk

Will marketing help businesses recover from Covid-19? As a content marketing & PR consultancy, perhaps you’d think I’d say “Yes. Marketing will solve your problems.” But I don’t believe it is the single cure. Sure, content marketing and PR play an important role, especially to generate leads that would have previously come through events and networking. Marketing needs to be part of your wider strategy and cannot be seen as a panacea.

What are your plans moving forward? Like most businesses we were hit by Covid-19. We used the time to be creative, launching a website and proposition which have been incredibly well received. Associate Director Daniel O’Connor and I are in the final stages of launching a new company, offering complementary digital services to our clients.

What do you find most rewarding about your role? I feel incredibly privileged to lead our consultancy. We get to know, understand, articulate and bring to life the vision for many B2B organisations. As a team we’re all insatiably curious. When our clients say, ‘You guys just get us’, that’s what we find most rewarding.

SAMMY BURT BRAND AND CULTURE, BACKPACK 07850 268509 www.yourbackpack.co.uk

What sets you apart from other agencies? If a business wants to sell itself on its clear and differentiated proposition, then it needs to know what it looks and feels like ‘at its best’ to its clients and colleagues. Digging that out is often where our work starts. But it’s tougher than just the good stuff – it needs to know when and where it isn’t ’at its best’ and close that gap. Then the brand is real. This is what sets Backpack apart – our approach to brand is a whole business one, because your brand is not a one liner or your logo, it’s all you are and all you do in marketing, sales, operations, culture – and yes, even finance. Why did you get into agency work? I love the variety of agency work – I love that one minute I am all about positioning of an org dev consultancy to its multinational clients, and next I’m talking about the role of the Western education curriculum in rural Zimbabwe. I’m surrounded by intelligent and passionate people in all sorts of fields and I have the privilege of supporting them and learning from them.

What are your plans moving forward? To balance performance and purpose we need to forever challenge ourselves. Client projects are bespoke, often the result of identified pain or opportunity. But that way of working financially excludes some organisations - which doesn’t seem fair. To begin answering that inequality January sees the first of a more accessible way of defining strategy with a course that grows capability through doing and results in a robust strategy.