Everyone seems to be paid the identical quantity at Tandem and it really works. Intrigued?
Tandem Collective is a community-led advertising company, specialising in campaigns for the e book publishing and movie industries. They work carefully with e book, movie and TV lovers on Instagram and TikTok to create immersive, distinctive content material which is delivered straight into the communities that others try to succeed in.
Founder, Naomi Bacon takes a while from her busy schedule to share her journey within the hope that may encourage Enterprise Issues’ readers …
What are Tandem’s USPs?
Most advertising companies speak about being specialists in neighborhood development however they don’t have their very own neighborhood round them, which feels disingenuous. We now have constructed our complete providing round placing the neighborhood first, delivering what they need and wish.
Our flat construction has made the headlines; we’re all paid the identical, together with me. For me, the true which means of inclusivity is that everybody is valued equally; all of us have completely different talent units and we’re all of worth. This promotes loyalty and roots out folks which might be self-serving or aggressive within the flawed methods – that’s not what Tandem is. We’re all bold and pushed, however that’s channeled into our work reasonably than particular person standing or comparability throughout the firm.
I recruit folks with out particular advertising expertise; I don’t need them bringing discovered behaviours from the business, good or dangerous, as a result of my staff – who come from an enormous number of completely different skilled and life backgrounds – have such a way of multiperspectivity. All of them love books, that’s how we discovered one another, and we function as a hive thoughts – no one owns an concept, we kind them collectively, and that collective of various views is what produces our artistic and recent concepts.
What’s the important drawback Tandem solves on your clients?
Useful resource – There merely wasn’t an company serving the publishing business.
Having been in-house, I used to be making an attempt to work with mismatched budgets and companies delivering proposals which weren’t related or proper for the publishing business. We’re the one firm providing this sort of service to the publishing business, which is why we’re rising so rapidly globally, and we pleasure ourselves on providing an reasonably priced choice which understands the useful resource restrictions and the neighborhood to which we’re advertising. Shoppers typically touch upon the creativity and enthusiasm of our team- they nearly appear stunned!
What made you begin Tandem? – did you wish to rock the established order, was it a problem or a niche within the market that you can fill?
I discovered 9-5 company construction tough in so some ways – I’m up at 5am, I prefer to be energetic and get going within the mornings, not wait till 9am. I discovered the rigidity very claustrophobic, and that impacted negatively upon my creativity. I additionally had severe household points which wanted my consideration and power, and it was not attainable to juggle and progress inside a company job whereas giving these points the eye they wanted. After I arrange by myself, I didn’t should go anyplace, I may nonetheless do the work I like to a excessive commonplace however I is also current with the folks I really like and be there for them.
That filters down now to the entire team- life occurs and all of us have the house, flexibility and assist to navigate that whereas nonetheless doing our greatest work. In fact we’re all going to be extra artistic and do higher work if we will go for walks, hike up mountains, hang around on the seaside, spend time with our households. I don’t should reply to anybody’s stuctures of what a piece day ought to seem like; we take pleasure in an unbelievable stability.
What are your model values?
Braveness, compassion and connection.
Braveness will not be about not having concern, it’s about the way you take care of that concern. Beginning the enterprise was a brave act – probably the most terrifying and most rewarding factor I’ve ever executed – and it’s the identical with each new marketing campaign. We take leaps and we belief ourselves to take action.
Compassion – understanding that everybody is a person, work will not be a be all and finish all, however that it could possibly convey a lot pleasure. Our staff is numerous – folks from all walks of life, with neurodiversity, well being circumstances, disabilities, differing household conditions, our personal challenges. And that leads me to our remaining worth; connection.
Our reference to purchasers, neighborhood and staff members is the whole lot; it needs to be significant and real. I wished to create a staff that will really feel like a discovered household, and I’ve. We genuinely love one another and don’t should carry out or put on skilled masks round one another. We deal with our purchasers like human beings – we don’t do ‘tremendous company’ – we would like them to take pleasure in and have enjoyable working with us, and that builds respect too; we don’t mistreat one another.
Do your values outline your decision-making course of?
Completely. They’re in the whole lot I do.
Is staff tradition integral to your online business?
It’s the whole lot. We run a yearly retreat in Italy, we get collectively for Christmas, we journey to co-work with one another – as a completely distant staff it’s essential to have significant, in-person connection at any time when we will. There’s no pressured enjoyable, simply real downtime collectively – enjoyable on the seaside, consuming gelato, studying collectively, having fun. We now have a zero-alcohol coverage in any respect our gatherings. We now have folks in restoration on the staff and we’ve all seen what occurs when an excessive amount of alcohol is concerned in work conditions in our prior jobs; we’ve got a tremendous time with out it and taking booze off the desk – actually – makes everybody really feel rather more snug. If a boss or firm feels that free booze or the occasional free pizza on a Friday is the way in which to their staff’ hearts, they’re lacking the purpose and misunderstanding these people.
What do you do to go the additional mile to point out your staff you recognize them?
Together with the retreats and residential gatherings I run for the staff, that are larger gestures of appreciation, we’ve got every day exhibits of gratitude and friendship. We every ship out a ‘Thursday thanks’ to somebody we’re feeling grateful for – privately reasonably than publicly. We now have common ‘pal chats’ the place we carve out time to speak out what’s occurring in our lives exterior of Tandem, and we’ve got such shut friendships throughout the firm which makes the tradition fairly easy; all of us take pleasure in being there, and it exhibits.
When it comes to your messaging do you suppose you speak on to your customers in a transparent style?
Sure, but in addition in an affectionate, familial approach – we don’t do company chat. We voicenote, we’ve got fun, we take away the jargon and pomp, and we don’t ‘gatekeep’; I used to be voicenoting a long-standing member of our neighborhood final night time, simply to verify in, no agenda. I’m very clear with the neighborhood in regards to the operating of the corporate, which I believe folks recognize.
What’s your tackle inflation and rates of interest – are you going to go that on to your clients or let your margins take successful and reward buyer loyalty in these harder instances?
We elevated 10% throughout all providers, yr on yr, however stay very reasonably priced. This worth improve was mandatory as we’ve got had a considerable lower in our revenue margins as a result of results of inflation on our prices. Nearly all of our income are reinvested within the firm to finance present and future campaigns. We’re extremely depending on this capital as we’ve got no debt and haven’t any plans to accumulate any.
How typically do you assess the information you pull in and deal with your KPIs and why?
On a month-to-month foundation I sit with the information, however in saying that, I’ve by no means had a inflexible marketing strategy; which contributes to the success of Tandem. I have a look at the information however I simply do the job because it presents itself. I hate the phrases ‘targets’ and ‘KPI’s – generally you are feeling pressured to drag a goal out of a hat, then should you don’t meet it, you are feeling prefer it’s a measure of your functionality when it isn’t.
The KPIs that matter to me are values-based; do I’ve a contented, wholesome staff? Are we having fun with what we do? Do our purchasers hold coming again to us? As a result of when these issues are in place, the numbers are nice. If not, I am going again to Connection; how can we higher join to enhance issues?
Is tech taking part in a a lot bigger half in your day-to-day operating of Tandem?
Our firm is completely on-line, so we’re very reliant on social media platforms, however we hold issues fairly easy. We’re utilizing platforms like Discord, however we attempt to restrict the variety of apps and platforms that our neighborhood want to be able to interact with us; we wish to encourage a stability our high quality on-line providing with encouraging significant offline time.
What’s your perspective to your rivals?
Competitor evaluation is a large factor for some however it’s not one thing I take into consideration – firstly we don’t actually have any rivals, as no one else does what we do, and secondly I strive very laborious to not examine myself or this firm to another people or firms. I give attention to our goals, targets and successes – my mind switches off once I hear somebody gloating about turnover, as a result of it’s simply not my focus. Revenue doesn’t inform the complete story of that firm and the people inside it. All of it comes again to our values; they’re what matter to me.
It may be a lonely and pressured place to be because the lead resolution maker of the enterprise. What do you do to loosen up, recharge and hone your focus?
Almost all selections are made as a collective, so it’s both the complete staff or the venture managers and I making a remaining name on one thing collectively. I loosen up and recharge by climbing – I typically work from a climbing wall – doing yoga, biking, mountain climbing, sitting on the seaside. I begin my day very early with an hour of meditation, studying, some Duolingo; something peaceable that units me up for the day. That sacred hour is essential. My life-style and atmosphere encourages that approach of recharging – I chase the solar, and proper now I’m in Cape City. I don’t work Fridays, not one of the staff do – we learn, get impressed and recharge ourselves.
Do you consider within the 12 week work technique or do you make for much longer planning methods?
We do have long run targets however we work primarily in quarters, so shorter sprints – it helps us to give attention to the right here and now, which is why our marketing strategy is so versatile.
What’s your organization’s eco technique?
All of us work remotely on-line, so our footprint may be very small, however we used to print sources for our neighborhood and purchasers – now we offer all of these sources digitally to minimise our affect additional. We additionally work with native companies and small companies for send-out gadgets to minimise postage affect.
What three issues do you hope to have in place throughout the subsequent 12 months?
I wish to arrange native pods in territories the place reasonably priced options haven’t – till now – been obtainable, together with India, South Africa, and smaller territories throughout Europe. We have already got a powerful presence in Italy and Spain, however I’d prefer to see particular growth into Germany and France, I wish to spend money on people inside these communities. I additionally wish to develop our movie and theatre providing, and we’re making thrilling plans in that space. Other than that, I would like issues to proceed as they’re – a powerful, pleased staff; artistic tasks rolling in; enthusiastic purchasers – a way of life enterprise that I’m proud to be part of.