Time for change at content agency Dialogue

Dialogue’s Agency Director, Zoë Francis-Cox reflects on the past two months and outlines how the content agency is changing as a result…

It’s never been more timely to recognise the need for, and the value of ‘change’. Like so many other businesses at this unprecedented time, we at Dialogue have been forced to accelerate our ongoing transformation. 

From evolution to revolution at the content agency

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen some of the natural ‘evolution’ of the agency become more ‘revolution’. The gradual rollout of new tech and platforms planned for Q1 and Q2 was rapidly completed the week before we went into lockdown. But we managed. The whole 45-strong agency was up and running remotely overnight, and within a few days, Microsoft Teams was the new normal way of attending meetings.

More agile working was something we were working towards as we planned for our new working environment within Prospect House later this year. Again, within hours, the whole agency had set up from their kitchen tables and spare rooms and were busy continuing with their daily tasks: creating content, designing magazines, virtual creative ideation sessions, selling advertising and supporting clients through these challenging times. One of our core values, our ‘agility’ has never felt so liberating.

Relationships with our people and our clients have never been more important and I’m proud of the culture within the agency – one that continues to thrive even though we’ve not seen each other in person in weeks.

One further change, at the end of this month, after five years with the business, content agency Dialogue's Executive Director Craig Nayman, will leave the business for new adventures. Craig looks forward to more time with his family and also more time to reflect on what’s important in his life right now. We will miss the energy Craig brings to the business, but wish him the very best in his future endeavours.

The future of the agency

The future of content agency Dialogue is buoyant. We continue to work closely with our clients, navigating their futures with them – we know that many changes lie ahead; not least the basic behavioural changes of their customers and members having been forced into a virtual and digital world in recent months. ‘Our customers aren’t digitally savvy’ will no longer be an excuse for not creating and distributing content in this space; it will be a good reason to either capitalise on new-found tech habits, or continue to consider alternatives that will standout and achieve cut-through in what is now an even more saturated space. The tangibility of print will become a new luxury and we’re excited about how we can leverage our heritage in this space to continue to create beautiful magazines for some of our clients.

What’s been so energising for me to witness over the past two months is how the agency has responded to the current circumstances in terms of supporting our clients, helping them navigate how the pandemic has affected them specifically, while continuing to create industry-leading content, campaigns and publications – all from home. Our relationships internally and externally are all the stronger because of it.

So whatever the ‘new normal’ looks like, I know that our core mission to create content that excites, informs and engages customers and members across the sectors we operate in is unshakeable.

Here’s to the future!