Let me tell you a story. We were sitting in an office staring blankly at our screens. The clock was ticking, the water cooler gurgling and the organisation we were working for had largely forgotten that we existed. Another day passed by. And then another. And then another. Tick tock, as the seconds of our lives slipped away. And then we realised that there might actually be another way. We were all separately working with organisations, each doing our own little bit and not really getting anywhere.
One of us found an essay on the website by an Internet marketing ‘guru’, and circulated it for comment. The room filled with light. Choirs of angels appeared and sang ‘Hallelujah’. And then the department manager said “Right, switch off that halogen spotlight, turn off that stupid music and get back to work.” We complied.
Tick tock, tick tock. But we were caught up in something. It was apparent that in order to market something successfully, there was no point going at it half-heartedly. What organisations needed was a holistic approach. Something different from the ‘lets put an advert in a magazine once, and see what happens. And by the way, my budget is £60.’ approach.
Marketing was being integrated more tightly with the Internet, and all the agencies that we knew about were doing one or the other. You could get a web site built, but the company who built it would be very unlikely to know about marketing of any sort. And you could get an advert designed, but if you wanted an online campaign to replicate the momentum, you’d have to take your business elsewhere.
So that’s how it started. We started our own (originally called wearePR – the name changed in 2006 to Blue Orange Marketing). We rescued the Princess, found the treasure and killed the Ogre under the bridge. Hurrah! Of course, along the way we’ve made some friends, and recognising our own limitations, we outsource elements. We’ve learnt that the key to doing this successfully is having very tight Project Management controls, and so far so good.
We believe we can do a better job when we aren’t constrained by corporate red tape, and 9 to 5 mentality that pervades so many organisations. We work hard but are able to achieve the work/life balance that so many yearn for. We’re big on treating people as we’d like to be treated. Our standards are high, and we value those we work with. If you’re interested in working with us, email Sharon (the Princess).
We’re extremely lucky in that alot (in fact most) of our work comes from referrals – doing a good job for a client who passes our name onto someone else. We’ve had various ways of saying ‘thanks’ in the past. It may not be huge, but it’s our way of saying thank you. And we really do mean it.