Wise words from writers James Belasco and Ralph Stayer. Steph Hill, Client Services Director, and Richard Robinson, Content Director, are well versed in moving highly complex accounts into Sunday. They discuss how Sunday has successfully smoothed the transition phase for many large account switches, and how content has then been re-energised.
RR: Potential clients often have concerns about changing content marketing agency. We get that – taking the bold step to join a new agency can be daunting. Like moving home, your head is full of all the detail. But at Sunday, we’re here to take the stress out of ‘moving day’ and beyond. We make sure concern turns to confidence – the confidence that a fresh start can rejuvenate teams and supercharge your content marketing into a dynamic customer experience that will inspire audiences, increase commercial activity and create new communities.
SH: I agree. We’ve been appointed by many clients who know that they need a fresh start to truly refocus their content programmes. Most want to transition from a print first, magazine-led publishing cycle into a digital-first (often still with print support) omnichannel programme. But they want a bit of guidance doing it. We’re now the most experienced agency in the sector, having transferred in and revolutionised more than five membership content programmes during the past five years.
RR: Most organisations have been, well, nervous to begin with, haven’t they?
SH: They have. But change is good, energising. Sunday shows them how change is an opportunity to support their long-term strategic goals.
RR: Yes, an opportunity to take the best of the past, combine it with our creative energy and flair, to create next-generation content. We know that with many clients, legacy programmes and established relationships are so important, and that change carries risk, or at least perceived risk. But change doesn’t have to be a binary choice. We often run two tracks – one based on an evolutionary version of business-as-usual, while in the background we can help develop that next-generation content programme. That allows us to work together on a bolder, more radical content future while also harnessing the goodwill of an organisation’s existing members and attracting and motivating new and more diverse audiences. The content then becomes more relevant and more influential.
SH: That legacy point is important. The biggest single challenge that potential clients encounter when trying to implement change is the disconnect between their ambition and the realities of their own organisational structure. Legacy processes can be hard to deconstruct, not least because there is often a siloed approach within content or marketing functions and a sense that ownership of a particular area will be eroded by change. Resistance to change often comes from a disjointed approach and a lack of clarity. So, bringing key stakeholders – both junior and senior – on every part of the journey is crucial.
RR: Successfully managing change is multi-faceted, but there are several elements that we work through in any transition: and it all begins with strategy. The key is to always start by defining goals and objectives – where do we want to get to? – and then to work together on one over-arching strategic solution, rather than an immediate focus on channel, formats or tactics. That helps bring out what’s already working well, what needs to change, who are the audiences and what are their motivations. It also highlights what the new priorities should be. We have suggestions of the steps to take, but we adapt those for each client.
SH: Process is important: what processes exist; what should we keep; what should we remove or add? What measurement plans are in place for reporting (both commercially and from an agency performance perspective)? Are they fit for purpose? Have KPIs been set? Are they still relevant? And we develop robust project-management workflows for each client. The transfer of systems is key.
RR: So are the people!
SH: Yes. 100%. The Sunday team becomes an integral part of every client’s organisation. We bring a talented cast of digital specialists, content editors, designers, UX specialists, animators, video creators and account directors. Then there’s the social media and commercial teams. They will work alongside an organisation’s regular contributors and experts. We’ve also transitioned many staff into Sunday via TUPE, so we are well-versed in that – legally, commercially and culturally. We execute that with sensitivity and respect. We TUPE-ed the largest membership client in the UK into Sunday. One month later, we TUPE-ed one of our competitor agencies from within the Publicis network into Sunday (23 people transferred in total). We have a strong on-boarding process to ensure that staff are embedded quickly into our systems, processes and culture, in a positive and supported environment.
RR: Another concern membership organisations have is around communicating change in a clear and definitive way to members.
SH: We’ve managed that in different ways over various timeframes with clients. It’s important members feel informed and understand the reasons for change. What are you changing? What evidence is there that change is needed? Why will this be better for members? What will it help you as an organisation deliver that wasn’t possible before? Taking a joined-up approach and communicating change in a confident and timely way across all relevant channels helps to develop member awareness and understanding. And giving members an opportunity to feed back on the change is also an important aspect in ensuring they feel consulted and involved.
RR: Leveraging all that together has been transformative for the membership organisations we’ve worked with. It’s reinvigorated their content offering, helping them reach members where they are (web, social, email, apps, podcasts, print) with more targeted, more inspirational content, and giving new opportunities for members to engage.