Splendid Communications

How would you sum up 2009 for your agency?

A year of growth for Splendid: in income, talent, skills, scope and geographic coverage.

What was the high point of 2009 for your agency?

The live video link between our offices and all of our staff in London, Sydney and New York during our Company Christmas dinner in December.

What was the low point of 2009 for your agency?

We’re a very positive agency, I honestly can’t think of a low point.

Please give an overview of your staffing through 2009, including significant hires and internal promotions.

2009 was the year our talent pool went global. Annalise Brown joined us to become MD in charge of our Australian business, and towards the end of the year, Connie Harrison transferred from our London team to launch Splendid in New York as General Manager.

What was your best client/account win of 2009 and why?

Impossible to single one out. In the UK, Lucozade Sport was a popular win with the team as it sets us up nicely for a great year of sports projects including the World Cup. In Australia, Mac Cosmetics takes us into the beauty sector in a big way for the first time. In the US, we won the Smirnoff Global PR account which is significant as it sees us grouped as part of a hothouse of global lead agencies alongside JWT, AKQA and MRM.

What were your three best campaigns of 2009?

Definitely not going to single any out: we’re proud of all of our output last year.

How did the recession affect your performance in 2009 and what trends did you notice throughout the year – e.g. clients taking longer to sign off budgets etc?

We are very happy with our financial performance in 2009; we had concerns going into the year but they proved to be unfounded. Clients did take longer to sign off budgets and longer to pay but at least they paid.

Of which achievement in 2009 are you most proud?

Opening in New York like a PR David about to take on the mighty Goliath that is the American market.

Describe your agency in five words

Small and mighty. That’s it.

How have you embraced social media in 2009?

We embraced social media in 2007. In 2009, every Splendid campaign had a digital element.

What are your plans for 2010?

Continued growth and consolidation of our position as the number one global boutique.

If your agency were an animal, what animal would it be and why?

We would be a cross between a bulldog, a kangaroo and an eagle: combining the best features of all our local breeds.