Unlike other agencies – many of which pivoted during lockdown to cater to the changing demands of their clients – Bray St. started with a decentralised model at the core of our business.
It’s something we’re proud of and sing the praises of often, as we truly believe it’s a flexible and future-proofed model that boasts a myriad of benefits, both for the agency and our clients.
Daniel Dagher, our founder and Client Director, says: “As we launched this way, we didn’t have to make it work retrospectively once the pandemic hit. I always believed cloud-based and remote was the most efficient and effective agency model. We were already set up for success, and continue to be, so we could deliver impactful strategic and creative work, quickly and effectively, to our clients around the globe.”
For those unfamiliar with the definition, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, decentralised is ‘to move the control of an organisation from a single place to several smaller ones.’ For Bray St.,the concept has shaped a way of working that sees our agency collaborating with an expert network of digital, strategic and creative specialists across the globe – it’s what makes us so dynamic – with a thoroughly agile and modern culture embedded into our day-to-day and DNA.
From empowering colleagues to work remotely and flexibly around their own busy lives and schedules, to responding to clients on other continents in their time zones, there’s a wealth of rewards to reap once you’ve sown it into your culture. Of course, the model doesn’t come without its initial challenges, as an agency needs to invest in the right type of people to foster it – as well as the appropriate technology to facilitate it – not to mention getting clients on-board with this way of working and its benefits (although, once you dig into the detail, it’s not a hard-sell!).
Here, we round-up the advantages of the decentralised agency model, and demonstrate why it really is the best for business.
1 Our vibe attracts our tribe
Those working in marketing, technology and media are naturally creative, nomadic and curious – fact. So, why would an agency demanding they work from a physical office between the hours of nine and five – logging timesheets before leaving for home – attract the best talent? The short answer is, they won’t and don’t. Now, more than ever, people bursting with talent, passion and experience are seeking more enriching careers that enable them to better balance their work and home lives. If the pandemic showed us anything, it’s that life is short, and we can’t waste precious time being chained to a desk. That’s why Bray St. operates with a decentralised model to empower our people by enabling them to work from wherever they please, whatever hours they like, so long as the job gets done. What’s more, we’ve found that it doesn’t just get done, but the quality, speed and efficiency is even better, with happier, healthier colleagues to boot. Really: who can argue with that?
2 Right people, right project, right on
Not only does our decentralised model improve the wellbeing of our colleagues, but helps source specialists, too. With a network of tried-and-trusted experts in our little black book – strategists, editors, designers, project managers, you name it – we cherry-pick the correct talent for the appropriate client, whether a hot-shot strategist who knows the pet-tech space like the back of their hand, or a shit-hot journalist who can turn dry corporate speak into a colourful story that truly connects with potential investment capital brands. Unlike other agencies that employ permanent personnel to service clients, our decentralised model means we don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach, tailoring each team to the specific requirements of every project. It means that clients are assigned the specialism to land their message in the right way, every time, while ensuring people on the team are passionate about the projects they are choosing to work on. A bespoke agency response, guaranteed.
3 Ready to roll around the globe
Better still, our international pool of global specialists – from London to Sydney, Melbourne to Mexico City – means we can commission experts who understand regional nuances and local markets, too. On-the-ground insiders that just can’t be sourced within the traditional model. It also means that we’ve got local resource to help manage regional stakeholders, and connect them to the global vision, acting as an all-important connector within businesses. Because we’ve got a global team, we can work within the time zones of our clients, too, rather than them waiting until morning has broken in the UK for a response. While we may be dreaming up new strategy and creative while tucked up in bed in the UK, our colleagues in Australia will be busy at their desks, and vice versa. Thanks to our decentralised model, Bray St. is an always-on agency, with someone, somewhere progressing a project at any given time. Because more than anyone, we understand that time is of the essence when it comes to developing ideas and deploying them before the competition.
4 We’re a mixed bag
Practicalities aside, a decentralised model also makes the expertise, opinion and voices that contribute to our clients more dynamic, benefitting from a diverse team. Made up of representatives from all walks of life, diversity is at the beating heart of the decentralised approach, bringing with it different voices, unique perspectives and a global version. Proudly representing, we’ve got colleagues from different genders, ethnicities, cultures and educations working with Bray St. – as well as from the LGBTQI+ community, which we continue to proudly wave the flag for – in addition to hailing from around the globe. A worldwide outlook is essential to businesses that want to make a positive global impact, so Bray St. is equipped to provide insight from every corner of every continent. Free of fear, boundaries or judgement, our people collaborate honestly and openly to deliver a diverse and enriched perspective for work that flies, which in turn accelerates our brands.
To discover more about our decentralised model (trust us: our founder can talk about it all day long…) get in touch with Bray St.