How was your company born and where are you based?
Back in the early 90’s the talented and ambitious copywriting and creative duo of Adam Wooff and Chris Tongeman decided to leave publishing and make the entrepreneurial leap into agency land.
They could see from the beginning the great potential in an emerging B2B agency landscape for an agency with strong creative and strategic foundations to make a difference. Both continue to play key leadership roles in the agency with Adam now as CEO and Chris as ECD.
What was the biggest challenge to the growth of your company?
Recruiting the type of talent that can make a difference to our clients performance and then understanding how to use that talent in a way that creates profit for the agency
Which was the first huge success that you can remember?
Not every agency can claim to successfully have launched a new car marque into the UK market. In 2005 that’s precisely what we did with Chevrolet successfully helping them to launch in the UK.
This was a fantastic opportunity to deliver against a B2B2C mandate marketing direct to the nationwide dealer network all the way through to end consumers and idents for Love Island!
What’s the biggest opportunity for you and your company in the next year?
We’ve just launched the B2B marketing sector’s first creator studio across London, Berlin and New York, allowing B2B brands to connect with culture using short form video.
B2B brands have only just started to tap into ways their brands can speak to wider culture in ways that can be more fun, entertaining and creative.
Platforms such as TikTok and YouTube represent a huge new opportunity but require brands to think differently in how they show up in the lives of their current and future customers and workforce.
Can you explain your team’s creative process? What makes it unique?
The Croc is built on an ethos of Fierce Thinking. Individuals with the courage and conviction to challenge conventions.
Much of B2B creativity lives somewhere in the middle of a sales funnel, but that’s too narrow - we think a golden opportunity exists for big, stretchy campaign ideas that build fame and distinction across all parts of the buying journey.
How does your team remain inspired and motivated?
The work. The work. The work.
How has COVID-19 affected your company?
Well we grew x3 through COVID-19. This largely meant we needed to grow up quickly across systems and processes but also to build in a more compassionate business model to help people cope with the strain of new ways of working.
This resulted with a program of initiatives from creating an agency-wide culture steering team to help us keep our finger on the pulse of the agency to establishing wellbeing days, extra days off for birthdays, private healthcare scheme, summer early finish Fridays.
This has ultimately made a positive impact on both management and agency culture and we continue to work hard, listen to people and respond on a regular basis, a recent example being ‘the cost of living program’ that consists of a winter fuel allowance, travel loans and monthly Deliveroo allowance.
Which agencies do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
My first job in advertising was Saatchi and Saatchi in the 90’s and their ethos of Nothing is Impossible was always a great source of inspiration. You could really feel a sense of togetherness, ambition, talent, and of never being satisfied with mediocrity.
I love Drucker, and Bullmore was always my favourite read in Campaign back in the day. When it comes to the living, what Uncommon have done creatively the last few years is insane.
What is one tip that you would give to other agencies looking to grow?
We’re only as good as the talent we can recruit and keep. Know what good looks like, set high standards, be kind.
How do you go about finding new clients/business? (Pitching, work with retainers, etc.)
The most effective model I have seen to date is to do great work that creates fame and notoriety.
What’s your one big hope for the future of the industry?
That we continue to attract the next generation of ambitious, creative, original thinkers
Do you have any websites, books or resources that you would recommend?
Better than books is to keep your eyes and ears open and to live as many experiences as you can.
