The Most Innovative Digital Agency
I was delighted to hear this week that Redweb has been shortlisted for the E-Consultancy Innovation Award for ‘Most Innovative Digital Agency’.
The accolade is more impressive when you consider we are a design and build agency working significantly in public sector. Innovation, I believe, would be typically perceived within the campaign orientated/digital marketing contingent.
However Redweb’s nomination is certainly not by fluke but fully justified and based on a clear business lead directive and internal buy-in and support.
Sixteen months ago we set up an Innovation department in response to the fact we could never get anything done! We were relying on goodwill and staff favours. It was not a situation that was sustainable or getting us anywhere.
Yet there was a million and one things we wanted to try and experiment. So as a growing and profitable agency we took the leap of faith. We decide to pay people to “play and experiment” each and every day.
Our Innovation department at Redweb is headed up by David Burton, who is committed to explore, nurture and exploit new ideas and technologies in the most creative ways. Dave has not just formed a department but his influence, enthusiasm and passion for the new is preached across the business. It has become an integral part of all the work we do across the agency, incorporated into our design work, development, search marketing and mobile strategies, with the BIMA nominated Wheel of Tea iPhone application as a shining example.
This creativity has now stretched outside the boundaries of Redweb and we have been responsible for creating a quarterly regional event called ‘Meetdraw’ which allows anyone from the digital industry to get together and share ideas.
These regular get-togethers provide an informal forum for the digital minds of the Dorset area, including the student population, to share ideas and keep up to date on the industry. This has provided an encouraging and positive drive to improve the digital presence in the south west area.
Finally we have invested a lot of time into building links with Bournemouth University, a wealth of young creative talent right on our doorstep. As an agency, and particularly within our Innovation department, we have recognised the great potential of working closely with digital, creative and media students. The students benefit from the experience of working in a digital agency environment as well as staff here feeding off the creativity and fresh ideas from the students.
So the nomination is fantastic and I am pleased we, and particularly David Burton, have been recognised for the effort and difference he has made. This nomination isn’t about an iPhone app or a Flickr/Twitter whizz thingy. It is about inspiring people to think about what they are doing and how they can do it better.
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