Phipps

How would you sum up 2009 for your agency?

It’s been an incredibly exciting year not least as we decided to extend our offering and grow our corporate team as well as our digital and creative consumer capabilities. Clearly 2009 has been a tough year for the industry. However with our focus on delivering what our clients need and exceeding their expectations, we have not only retained all of our current clients but won new business as well.

What was the high point of 2009 for your agency?

The achievement of winning new clients in the current economic climate has been hugely satisfying for the team. In doing so, we have further developed our business to offer a broader communications service by appointing a number of consultants and partners who will offer strategic insight and experience in digital communications, corporate responsibility and brand platform creation.

What was the low point of 2009 for your agency?

We have had the challenge of working harder to secure budgets with our clients and demonstrate how we can leverage these to maximise greater returns on investment. One of our biggest, long term clients had to significantly reduce their PR budget but the good news was that after ten years, the client still wanted to work with us and we saw this as an opportunity to work differently and more creatively with them. We have streamlined our activities and become more project focused which is working well for both parties.

We believe that clients are now more reticent to commit to larger, long term activities. This is understandable and we have found that by working closely with clients to understand their needs and looking at different ways of working with them, smaller budgets do not compromise the quality of work we have been able to deliver.

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

We’ve been investing in our senior team to create a strong platform for growth. Phipps’s hugely talented associate director Emma Turner has been promoted to the main board. We’ve also made two significant senior hires with Tracey Grannum (ex head of food and drink at Munro & Foster) joining us as associate director and Helen Lo (previously head of corporate affairs, Sainsbury’s) joining us to extend our corporate offering to clients.

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

We actually had two wins which hold equal merit as they reflected our strategy of developing our corporate communications offer - The Kerrygold Company and Green & Black’s, the latter to be their global agency offering strategic corporate counsel which recognises our commitment to their business for the last 11 years.

What were your three best campaigns of 2009?

Champagne Lanson, Wines of Rioja, and Teacher's.

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?

The recession didn’t affect our performance significantly. In terms of trends, we have seen bigger and longer pitch lists, digital agencies absorbing some of the PR spend and PR evaluation is becoming more and more important as clients want to see a demonstrably greater return on investment.

Of which achievement in 2009 are you most proud?

In a time of economic recession, we are most proud of the fact that we have retained our position as one of the UK's leading food and drink agencies. We have been constantly approached for pitches throughout the year and our reputation has allowed us to compete with the ‘big boys’ on some great FMCG accounts.

Describe your agency in five words

Expert, influential, creative, thoughtful, eclectic

How have you embraced social media in 2009?

The whole team has been trained in this area as we believe that social media is now a core channel when communicating to the media and consumers.

It’s vital that we target not just current consumers but also focus on the next generation who are moving further away from the traditional print media. In doing so, we have been able to help our clients understand how social media can best work for them.

We have appointed two new media ambassadors who are responsible for training across the agency and keeping up-to-date with the latest developments.

What are your plans for 2010?

2010 will be a defining year for Phipps as we will be repositioning our own brand through a greater number of services particularly strategic corporate communications, corporate responsibility and digital media.

Building on our success as a specialist food and drink agency, our panel of partners will be hosting a series of ‘Leading Lights’ dinners which will provide clients and potential clients with the opportunity to address food industry challenges and ‘dilemmas’ and network with relevant key opinion formers and influencers. The panel will also provide insights on future food and drink trends and industry challenges.

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

A meerkat – always alert, engages with all audiences and has a creative flair which would give Alexander Orlov Meerkat a run for his money.