We are 18.

In 2018, our agency is 18. As we celebrate our 18 years, we take this time to recognise the key ingredients that got us here: Tenacity and Resilience.

18 years ago, we started from humble beginnings. With only a team of 1, and a very supportive client base who gave us our first big break: Clarins. StarTV. Apple.

Our first 10 years were defined by a struggle for legitimacy. For growth. We needed a way to convince clients on the merit of our strategy, the strength of our team and the legitimacy of our practice. We often face discouragement. But tenacity and resilience gave us opportunities after opportunities. Not just in the form of a growing client base, but the opportunity to work on a variety of different and new things, requiring new skill sets and new ways of thinking about the problems. We grew.

We moved office 5 times, each bigger than the next, to accommodate more team members, more departments, more services. All paid for in cash on the back of our growth. We poured all we have into what we do. 

But our 2nd half is defined by a new form of struggle. The struggle of shifting landscapes and uncertain economic prospects. We struggled with the challenges that go with growth. We struggled with external competition and internal subversives. We struggled with defining who we are. We struggled to define our voice, our purpose.

In this past 18 years, we have seen all manner of shifts in the field we find ourselves in. We have moved from working with print, spending countless hours checking colour separation in 4 separate film sheets, to digital banners in Flash to HTML5, mobile devices and social media. It wasn’t creativity that got us through. It wasn’t smart thinking. Those things are great for that moment in time. The key is in recognising that we need to continuously venture forth to something new. That scary and very uncertain prospect required tenacity and resilience. To unlearn what we have learnt. To learn new skills, to chart new paths. 

We shape-shifted, from an online consultancy to a traditional ad agency at our infancy, to a full-fledge traditional marketing arm with advertising, PR and events before pivoting again to one singular story-telling platform with no distinction between traditional or digital. That was 10 years ago. We move from a separate traditional/digital practice into one where our talents can deliver a singular output, combining various separate groups into a singular team. That was 5 years ago. What will be required as we define our next progress? Our tenacity and resilience. The strength and courage to chart new paths forward.

Our purpose has been shaped vigorously in the past 18 years. It’s about being a great place where we can do the best work that demonstrates meaning and purpose for some of the best clients out there. It’s about being part of a bigger collective, a higher calling. To change the world.

Tenacity and resilience then become the foundation of that calling. To fulfil our aspirations, we are called to scale the most challenging heights. To beat our inner demons and to overcome our collective barrier. Without tenacity and resilience, we would not have stood up and be counted. We would have withered away.

That tenacity and resilience become more crucial when we come face to face with those who deliberately attempt to bring us down. They will discourage us. They will disparage us. They will divide us. They will tell us we can’t do it and offer excuses to why we shouldn’t even try. We lack the resources. We are doing it wrong. They will sow discord and disbelief with lies and half-truths, savouring in the shadows gleefully enjoying the troubles that come our way. 

But troubles that come our way shape us. It strengthens us. It’s a sure test of resilience and tenacity that defines our character. It’s our focus on solutions and solving problems that elevate us. Rise above the fold. This is our chance to put our quality on full display. 

The measure of our success isn’t about how big we get. Or how much money we make. It will never be about how many awards we’ve won or how cool our office looks. Success and failure will come and go. Don’t let them define us. It will always be about how true to what we set out to do. It will be measured by how steady we steer this ship on our journey to greatness. It will be counted by how much we will rely on our tenacity and stay resilient in the face of a raging storm. It’s who we are that matters. 

To our clients, the ones who believed in us and allowed us the space to do the best we can do, and more. Thank you. We know we often fight and push our way through. Thank you for recognising that tenacity and resilience as a passion to do the best work possible and to have a part in your success. 

To our future team and potential recruits: We may not be the right place for you. We are a serious team, doing some of the most challenging work in the most difficult way possible. We don’t have a fancy office or a pool table or epic office parties. We don’t have "best practices", we write them. We aim to chart unknowns and go places we have never been before, often without a guide, often without a map. We will be incomparable to others because we are hard on ourselves, not easier. You will be pushed to the edge of the abyss, and with death staring down at you to the unyielding pits below, we will push you off that same edge. What we have, are opportunities and a desire to be our best. What we have, is purpose. That requires tenacity and resilience. But if all those challenges and difficulty somehow attracts you, let’s talk.

To our team, thank you for believing in our work and our mission for the past 18 years. We will never be perfect, but we can and will be better. Progress is the result of that tenacity and resilience. Our burdens may be heavy. We may make mistakes. At times, we might even fail. But it is when we quit and believe that it is not possible, that we are truly defeated. Be proud of the work we do and who we are, and we will keep moving forward. 

Here’s to #BRANDTHINK18.