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 immediately into the communities that others are attempting to achieve.
Founder, Naomi Bacon takes a while from her busy schedule to share her journey within the hope that can encourage Enterprise Issues’ readers …
What are Tandem’s USPs?
Most advertising companies discuss being consultants in group progress however they don’t have their very own group round them, which feels disingenuous. We’ve got constructed our whole providing round placing the group first, delivering what they need and want.
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 can be self-serving or aggressive within the improper methods – that’s not what Tandem is. We’re all formidable and pushed, however that’s channeled into our work fairly than particular person standing or comparability inside the firm.
I recruit folks with out particular advertising expertise; I don’t need them bringing discovered behaviours from the business, good or unhealthy, 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 person owns an thought, we kind them collectively, and that collective of various views is what produces our inventive and recent concepts.
What’s the primary downside 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 attempting 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 type 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 group to which we’re advertising. Shoppers usually 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 spot within the market that you might fill?
I discovered 9-5 company construction tough in so some ways – I’m up at 5am, I prefer to be lively 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 critical 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 wherever, 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. In fact we’re all going to be extra inventive 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 must reply to anybody’s stuctures of what a piece day ought to appear to be; we take pleasure in an unimaginable steadiness.
What are your model values?
Braveness, compassion and connection.
Braveness will not be about not having concern, it’s about the way you cope with that concern. Beginning the enterprise was a brave act – essentially the most terrifying and most rewarding factor I’ve ever finished – 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 might probably deliver a lot pleasure. Our staff is various – folks from all walks of life, with neurodiversity, well being situations, disabilities, differing household conditions, our personal challenges. And that leads me to our ultimate worth; connection.
Our reference to shoppers, group and staff members is every part; it must be significant and real. I needed to create a staff 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 wish 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 part I do.
Is staff tradition integral to what you are promoting?
It’s every part. 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 each time we will. There’s no compelled enjoyable, simply real downtime collectively – stress-free on the seaside, consuming gelato, studying collectively, having fun. We’ve got a zero-alcohol coverage in any respect our gatherings. We’ve got 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 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 staff you respect them?
Together with the retreats and residential gatherings I run for the staff, that are greater gestures of appreciation, we’ve got each day exhibits of gratitude and friendship. We every ship out a ‘Thursday thanks’ to somebody we’re feeling grateful for – privately fairly than publicly. We’ve got common ‘good friend 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 inside the firm which makes the tradition fairly easy; all of us take pleasure in being there, and it exhibits.
By way of your messaging do you assume you speak on to your shoppers in a transparent trend?
Sure, but in addition in an affectionate, familial method – 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 group final evening, simply to verify in, no agenda. I’m very clear with the group concerning the working of the corporate, which I believe folks respect.
What’s your tackle inflation and rates of interest – are you going to cross that on to your clients or let your margins take successful and reward buyer loyalty in these harder occasions?
We elevated 10% throughout all providers, yr on yr, however stay very reasonably priced. This value improve was mandatory as we’ve got had a considerable lower in our revenue margins because of the 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 got no debt and haven’t any plans to amass any.
How usually do you assess the info you pull in and handle 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 take 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 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 shoppers maintain 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 working of Tandem?
Our firm is completely on-line, so we’re very reliant on social media platforms, however we maintain issues fairly easy. We’re utilizing platforms like Discord, however we attempt to restrict the variety of apps and platforms that our group want with the intention to interact with us; we wish to encourage a steadiness our high quality on-line providing with encouraging significant offline time.
What’s your angle to your opponents?
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 opponents, as no person else does what we do, and secondly I attempt very arduous to not examine myself or this firm to some other people or firms. I deal with our targets, targets and successes – my mind switches off after 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 chill out, recharge and hone your focus?
Almost all choices are made as a collective, so it’s both the whole staff or the venture managers and I making a ultimate name on one thing collectively. I chill out and recharge by climbing – I usually work from a climbing wall – doing yoga, biking, mountaineering, 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 way of life 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 staff 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 targets however we work primarily in quarters, so shorter sprints – it helps us to deal with 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 assets for our group and shoppers – now we offer all of these assets 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 reasonably priced options haven’t – till now – been accessible, 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 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, completely satisfied staff; inventive tasks rolling in; enthusiastic shoppers – a way of life enterprise that I’m proud to be part of.