Marketing and advertising is one of the rapidly-changing industries of the present times. Owing to the industry’s ever-changing scenario, the standard agency culture is also undergoing modifications to cope with the latest requirements. Today, people idealize values and concepts that flexibly align with their ideologies and cater to their requirements.
This notion serves as the prime motivation behind the establishment of Axle Eight. In 2016, the company was founded with the vision to create a working environment that was different, more flexible, and reasonable than the standard agency culture. “We wanted to build a culture where people could work with different brands and enjoy the variance in each day without the typical agency burnout,” asserts the CEO and Founder of Axle Eight, Kim Grennan.
Human Approach to Relationships
Axle Eight is a digital marketing agency that offers services such as paid media, content creation, PR, email and social media to mid-sized companies. As a service-based business that is highly commoditized, it is hard to differentiate on a completely unique level. There are numerous people who offer similar aspects of services. However, Kim states that it is the company’s process, work quality, and approach to building unique relationships with the clients that differentiate Axle Eight from the rest.
With a personable, more casual and result-oriented vision, Axle Eight tends to have a human approach to relationships and less of a white-collar business approach. Having previously worked with B2B companies, Axle Eight has widened its focus over the years. Currently, it works with B2C companies as long as they are a service-based company or e-commerce company with low SKUs/products sales. “We want to be approachable and transparent while achieving results you’ve only dreamed of,” remarks Kim.
Effectual Delegation of Duties
Being at the helm of the company, Kim asserts it as her duty to ensure the business is on the rails at all times. She further makes sure that Axle Eight is building a unique culture and a model that is scalable in a way that keeps the team cruising to achieve the company’s growth goals year in and out. Nevertheless, she puts a large emphasis on creating a business where people want to work, and clients aspire to work.
Amplifying Company Culture
As the leader, Kim also spearheads the team of Axle Eight. The company greatly emphasizes finding and hiring the right people for the team. This is because the entire service offering of the company is based on how great the people are and what they can achieve for the clients. Thus, Axle Eight only hires people who, as Kim believes, will amplify the company’s culture and what it has as a team. An individual is discarded as an option from the team when they do not fit the mold as a human and bring positivity, while naturally embodying the company’s core values and ethics.
The selected individuals, however, fit right in, while the members enjoy one another’s company and are tightly bonded. The team comprises people with a stellar skillset who genuinely care about results and do what is right. Axle Eight endorses a flexible working environment, no micromanagement, and offers a profit bonus program where all employees share in the business’s profit 2X per year. As a result, when the business is successful, the employees are directly rewarded for their respective contributions and efforts.
Robust Retention Strategy
Axle Eight attracts clients who are incredible to work with. Over the years, the company has become better at identifying its potential client—an aspect that has enriched the work lives of the employees. Thus, Axle Eight only works with companies where it is certain about making an impact.
Its ability to retain clients for years has garnered the company numerous referrals from new businesses. Moreover, the company has also earned its clients’ trust and respect with its transparency and flexibility to their business needs. Axle Eight further aims to be able to adapt to those needs on a dime, and change scope if needed.
Analyzing Trends and Shifts
Kim further enunciates that marketing and advertising is one of the quickest changing industries out there. Speaking of evolving client requirements, she asserts, “This is a more individualized experience for us and less of an overall, across the board thing we are seeing.” Every client and organization has an ideal vision of working with an agency. Sometimes Axle Eight likes to work in accordingly, and on other times it does not.
The company tries to come to a common understanding of what it can and cannot do for clients so things are clear on what they will be receiving and can further expect. She adds that it is really unique to every business and person for they want to work together.
Note of Conclusion: Kim’s Foretelling of the Future
In the upcoming years, Axle Eight is planning on rolling out more services on the design and website development side, along with analytics. Speaking of her vision for the future, Kim envisions a larger team delivering services and results to the right clients for the team of Axle Eight in a systematic way that continues to be scalable.
The company harbours big growth goals. To date, it never experienced a year where it has not achieved its goals. “I plan on not breaking that streak!” concludes Kim.
Words to the Wise:
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