This week, we caught up with Mark Baxter, Founder at Baggi, to discuss his young agency’s beginnings and optimistic future.
How was your company born and where are you based?
BAGGI were born in the middle of lockdown. It felt like the right time to do our own thing. We’re based in Wooburn Green, not far from Marlow, northwest of London.
What was the biggest challenge to the growth of your company?
As a small business owner, there are so many different things to get done. So you have to really focus on the priorities and try and shut out all the other noise.
To focus on producing the best quality work and building great client relationships, as this often leads to other great opportunities. But at the same time, build and expand your network in order to develop new business opportunities.
Which was the first huge success that you can remember?
Our founding client – the Retail Trust – who we’ll always hold close to our heart. We threw everything into that and uncovered a truly remarkable story and purpose for the organisation. This provided so much inspiration for developing the brand identity.
The results have been fantastic, and it was very recently awarded a DBA Design Effectiveness Award. Amazing when you consider some of the brands and agencies we were up against.
What’s the biggest opportunity for you and your company in the next year?
Building on the success of our recent award-winning work. Another of our clients, Honestly Tasty recently won a Drum Award (Silver) for Brand Design and was shortlisted for the Design Week Awards.
Our experience is incredibly broad, in both consumer and corporate branding but no doubt we’ve built some real specialist knowledge in the vegan and health and wellbeing sectors, amongst others.
Can you explain your team’s creative process? What makes it unique?
We talk a lot about creating Brands With Soul – we believe great brands and great creativity have a soul that people feel and are drawn to – ultimately it’s this emotion that is essential to long-term brand building. So, it’s important we define this together with the client, and from there craft great stories and create distinctive brand identities.
How does your team remain inspired and motivated?
Firstly, we believe trust, integrity and confidence are the essential ingredients for creating the right conditions for great work. And combining that with talent, a sense of humour, and some interesting hobbies and side projects that make you, you.
How has COVID-19 affected your company?
No! We started in lockdown. But no doubt it has had a big effect on our clients and the issues their businesses have faced. For example, for the Retail Trust, they had to react to a huge health and wellbeing crisis in the sector.
Which agencies do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
Wow, there are so many great agencies out there going great work. I think when I started my career, agencies like BBH were truly inspirational and I still love the simplicity of their ethos around “when the world zigs, zag”. In the current branding & design world, obviously Bulletproof produce some top-quality work but I’m always inspired by Dixon Baxi and Simon Dixon’s sage words.
What is one tip that you would give to other agencies looking to grow?
From my experience, focus on the quality of the work and experience at your agency. Without the right team, it’s ten times harder. There is no room for politics and egos – that’s the fastest way to an unhappy studio.
How do you go about finding new clients/business? (Pitching, work with retainers, etc.)
Firstly, by doing great work, as it can lead to other opportunities. Secondly, place great value in your existing network and always look to build it proactively. Thirdly, new clients want to know you understand their challenges and have good opinions on how you can help solve them.
It’s too easy to focus on yourself sometimes when it’s far more relevant if you can demonstrate your ability to provide an effective solution.
What’s your one big hope for the future of the industry?
Having worked on the successful GREAT Britain Campaign a few years ago – the UK Government’s biggest ever marketing initiative – it was clear to see how important design and the creative sector is to reputation of the UK.
It is my hope that the government continues to recognise this and invests in bringing through the undoubted talent we have here in the UK.
Do you have any websites, books or resources that you would recommend?
I’m always inspired by what the team over at The Do Lectures have to say, in particular, David Hieatt. Mark Ritson is a go-to in marketing thought leadership and training – he’s also thoroughly entertaining!
I also enjoyed Frank Rose’s book on storytelling: “The Sea We Swim In”. Other than that, we’re massively inspired by music and there’s always a record playing on the turntable – our favourite so far this year, is Young Father’s ‘Heavy Heavy’.
