Hill+Knowlton Strategies is a global public relations consulting company, with over 80 offices in more than 40 countries that aims to “deliver deep sector knowledge and public relations expertise to solve complex communications challenges.”
To gain some perspective on their global breadth and depth model and how they combine creativity with data and analytics to achieve their award-winning work, we caught up with Ross Hopcraft, MD and Creative Director at the H+K Global Studio.
The studios are at the heart of H+K’s concurrent approach. You’ll find content + publishing strategists working alongside film directors, content creators working with digital planner and data analysts working with designers – all focused on the same client-centric goals.
Whether it’s creating a new identity or a full-length documentary, an exhibition stand or the latest interactive experience, the studio is all about smart ideas delivered with the highest levels of craft and production expertise.
But what does Ross have to say for himself? Let’s see what our company spotlight manages to draw out of him.
How was your company born and where are you based?
Hill+Knowlton Strategies is a global fully integrated PR and communications agency, established in 1927. The Studio is H+K’s creative, design, content, experiential and production team; we launched in London over 20 years ago and in recent years have grown our network of makers and creators to span the globe.
What was the biggest challenge to the growth of your company?
We (The Studio) are very much a multi-disciplinary creative team that work on a wide array of briefs for a remarkably diverse client base. It's extremely easy to be pulled in all directions and build your team too quickly as you react to the briefs coming in the door.
We’ve learnt that you need to constantly assess when to expand the team and when to rely on partnering with external specialists. Knowing when to grow is a difficult decision and needs careful thought, especially in what are challenging economic times.
Which was the first huge success that you can remember?
Pitches are always a great moment when you bond as a team and get the adrenaline rush of pushing yourself and others to the high of a pitch presentation. Not long after I joined The Studio in 2012, we were asked to pitch for a big media event for a major auto brand against all the industry big hitters.
We had nothing to lose, so we approached it very differently at the time (although more common now) with a campaign approach integrated across all touchpoints. And we won. We delivered on our promise to the letter, and it changed our teams’ ambition, confidence, and broadened our capabilities overnight.
What’s the biggest opportunity for you and your company in the next year?
Understanding the challenges, benefits, fears, and excitement associated with AI (Artificial Intelligence). A very smart colleague was recently quoted as saying ‘you won’t lose your job to AI, but you might lose it to a human who understands and has embraced AI’.
So, getting on board and making sure the team are well versed in how it can help is a priority, while also educating clients and colleagues that there is no magic button that will create something and get it perfect in an instant.
Similarly, our clients are talking ever more about the value of data and ML (Machine Learning) to help solve many of big challenges we have. We are extremely focused on how we can bring data storytelling to life in more imaginative ways, as we adapt to innovative technologies impacting creativity.
Can you explain your team’s creative process? What makes it unique?
H+K ‘s depth and breadth model enable us to take advantage of a wealth of industry knowledge with teams that really understand a client's business, alongside an enviable list of in-house specialisms, from data and behavioural scientists, creative, influencer and content and publishing strategists. An amazing pool of colleagues to collaborate with to ensure our creative output is always on point.
We do not underestimate the value of our agency creative brief that sets the course and keeps us true to our objectives. It is not unique, but human nature often means people look for short cuts, so keeping us true to our brief always remains front of mind.
How does your team remain inspired and motivated?
Motivation comes from doing what you love, and we shouldn't forget that we are lucky enough to work in an industry that follows a passion we’ve probably had had as long as we can remember. But it can dwindle over time if you are doing the same thing over and over. Thankfully, that's something we don't see here given the array of clients we are lucky to work with within H+K.
Inspiration comes from being curious and then being willing to share your interests with others. It feels a lifetime ago when you wanted to be the first one to get your hands on Creative Review or Blueprint (showing my age) and you took time to really explore and actively look for inspiration before sharing on. We now do this digitally and the world is our oyster with a swipe of a thumb, but it also feels a much more singular activity.
Creating the right team environment to make sure everyone feels comfortable, encouraging the team to talk about their work and work they find inspiring, has become all the more important. It's also incredibly useful practice for speaking to clients.
How has COVID-19 affected your company?
COVID 19 affected both our Studio culture and to a degree our type of work output for a period of time. Through necessity we all worked more as individuals, and the typical unplanned creative huddle became more formalised and lost its sense of spontaneity.
The work followed suit; we saw a rise of fast turnaround social content as brands quickly found it was their main channel to maintain awareness with their audience. Marry the two together and very quickly our team felt we were all working on solo projects with little opportunity to come together as a team.
Thankfully, just like COVID, it was a phase we worked through and we have returned to a good balance of project types and scales where owe can come together and our Studio culture and can grow once again.
Which agencies do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
There are many hugely respected agencies you look towards with admiration, but I like to keep an eye on the smaller ‘start up’ agencies, with a bravery that comes with wanting to make a mark in the industry and a singularity of purpose. I have always been interested experiential digital media.
I have always loved working with the team as ISO Design up in Glasgow on many projects spanning back over twenty years and I would also like to give a shout out to the team at Set/Reset who have been incredible to partner with this year.
What is one tip that you would give to other agencies looking to grow?
To stay uncomfortable and take a “don’t be scared” mentality to ensure you take a few creative risks.
How do you go about finding new clients/business? (Pitching, work with retainers, etc.)
We're fortunate enough to have a great new business team within H+K who proactively manage new business opportunities and pull together appropriate pitch teams from across the agency.
As creatives, we are central to this new business process; but we also work closely with client leads to ensure we're offering all our clients our creative support. The relationship with PR teams is an incredible new business bonus, we focus on that and don't take it for granted.
What’s your one big hope for the future of the industry?
That it remains fuelled by people who love what they do and there continues to be a thriving creative community. COVID gave us many scares, but one for me was the loss of the opportunity for people to come together and enjoy a shared passion and respect of what we do.
Technology remains at the forefront of the creative conversation, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that it is tool powered by smart humans who want to use it to add value to our process.
Do you have any websites, books or resources that you would recommend?
I always recommend a visit to Mag Culture 270 St John Street, for anything creative.
It’s a fantastic place and close to our office. And even though it is 80 years old this year, I'd recommend The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. It’s a classic creative troubled soul story battling against convention.
