Everyone seems to be paid the identical quantity at Tandem and it really works. Intrigued?
Tandem Collective is a community-led advertising and marketing 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 instantly into the communities that others try to achieve.
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 and marketing businesses speak about being specialists in neighborhood development however they don’t have their very own neighborhood round them, which feels disingenuous. We’ve 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 ability units and we’re all of worth. This promotes loyalty and roots out folks which are self-serving or aggressive within the unsuitable methods – that’s not what Tandem is. We’re all formidable and pushed, however that’s channeled into our work reasonably than particular person standing or comparability inside the firm.
I recruit folks with out particular advertising and marketing expertise; I don’t need them bringing realized behaviours from the business, good or unhealthy, as a result of my workforce – 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 type them collectively, and that collective of various views is what produces our artistic and recent concepts.
What’s the primary drawback Tandem solves on your prospects?
Useful resource – There merely wasn’t an company serving the publishing business.
Having been in-house, I used to be attempting to work with mismatched budgets and businesses 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 delight ourselves on providing an inexpensive choice which understands the useful resource restrictions and the neighborhood to which we’re advertising and marketing. Shoppers usually touch upon the creativity and enthusiasm of our team- they virtually appear shocked!
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 would 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 must go anyplace, I may nonetheless do the work I like to a excessive customary 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 help to navigate that whereas nonetheless doing our greatest work. After all 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 seashore, spend time with our households. I don’t must reply to anybody’s stuctures of what a piece day ought to appear to be; we take pleasure in an unbelievable stability.
What are your model values?
Braveness, compassion and connection.
Braveness just isn’t about not having worry, it’s about the way you take care of that worry. Beginning the enterprise was a brave act – essentially the most terrifying and most rewarding factor I’ve ever completed – 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 just isn’t a be all and finish all, however that it may well deliver a lot pleasure. Our workforce is numerous – folks from all walks of life, with neurodiversity, well being situations, disabilities, differing household conditions, our personal challenges. And that leads me to our last worth; connection.
Our reference to shoppers, neighborhood and workforce members is every little thing; it needs to be significant and real. I needed to create a workforce that might really feel like a discovered household, and I’ve. We genuinely love one another and don’t must carry out or put on skilled masks round one another. We deal with our shoppers 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 every little thing I do.
Is workforce tradition integral to your small business?
It’s every little thing. We run a yearly retreat in Italy, we get collectively for Christmas, we journey to co-work with one another – as a totally distant workforce it’s essential to have significant, in-person connection each time we will. There’s no pressured enjoyable, simply real downtime collectively – enjoyable on the seashore, consuming gelato, studying collectively, having fun. We’ve a zero-alcohol coverage in any respect our gatherings. We’ve folks in restoration on the workforce and we’ve all seen what occurs when an excessive amount of alcohol is concerned in work conditions in our prior jobs; we’ve a tremendous time with out it and taking booze off the desk – actually – makes everybody really feel far more comfy. If a boss or firm feels that free booze or the occasional free pizza on a Friday is the best way 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 workforce you respect them?
Together with the retreats and residential gatherings I run for the workforce, that are greater gestures of appreciation, we’ve day by day reveals of gratitude and friendship. We every ship out a ‘Thursday thanks’ to somebody we’re feeling grateful for – privately reasonably than publicly. We’ve common ‘good friend chats’ the place we carve out time to speak out what’s happening in our lives outdoors of Tandem, and we’ve such shut friendships inside the firm which makes the tradition fairly easy; all of us take pleasure in being there, and it reveals.
When it comes to your messaging do you suppose you discuss on to your shoppers in a transparent trend?
Sure, but additionally in an affectionate, familial method – we don’t do company chat. We voicenote, we’ve 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 test in, no agenda. I’m very clear with the neighborhood concerning the operating of the corporate, which I believe folks respect.
What’s your tackle inflation and rates of interest – are you going to move that on to your prospects or let your margins take successful and reward buyer loyalty in these more durable occasions?
We elevated 10% throughout all companies, yr on yr, however stay very inexpensive. This worth enhance was needed as we’ve had a considerable lower in our revenue margins as a result of results of inflation on our prices. The vast majority of our income are reinvested within the firm to finance present and future campaigns. We’re extremely depending on this capital as we’ve no debt and haven’t any plans to amass any.
How usually do you assess the info you pull in and tackle your KPIs and why?
On a month-to-month foundation I sit with the info, 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 info however I simply do the job because it presents itself. I hate the phrases ‘targets’ and ‘KPI’s – generally you’re feeling pressured to drag a goal out of a hat, then for those who don’t meet it, you’re 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 workforce? Are we having fun with what we do? Do our shoppers preserve coming again to us? As a result of when these issues are in place, the numbers are nice. If not, I’m 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 preserve issues fairly easy. We’re utilizing platforms like Discord, however we attempt to restrict the variety of apps and platforms that our neighborhood want so as to have interaction 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 nevertheless 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 onerous to not evaluate myself or this firm to some other people or corporations. I give attention to our targets, objectives 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?
Practically all selections are made as a collective, so it’s both all the workforce or the mission managers and I making a last name on one thing collectively. I loosen up and recharge by climbing – I usually work from a climbing wall – doing yoga, biking, mountain climbing, sitting on the seashore. 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 surroundings encourages that method of recharging – I chase the solar, and proper now I’m in Cape City. I don’t work Fridays, not one of the workforce do – we learn, get impressed and recharge ourselves.
Do you imagine within the 12 week work methodology or do you make for much longer planning methods?
We do have long term objectives 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 could be very small, however we used to print sources for our neighborhood and shoppers – now we offer all of these sources digitally to minimise our influence additional. We additionally work with native companies and small companies for send-out gadgets to minimise postage influence.
What three issues do you hope to have in place inside the subsequent 12 months?
I wish to arrange native pods in territories the place inexpensive options haven’t – till now – been out there, 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 enlargement into Germany and France, I wish to put money into people inside these communities. I additionally wish to develop our movie and theatre providing, and we’re making thrilling plans in that space. Aside from that, I need issues to proceed as they’re – a powerful, comfortable workforce; artistic initiatives rolling in; enthusiastic shoppers – a life-style enterprise that I’m proud to be part of.