In 1995, when Studio 55 got its very first job, the goal was simple. We were to do that job well enough that the client would want to use us again. This meant being responsive, providing accuracy in production, meeting the brief, offering fast turnarounds, delivering real value for money, being agile, empathic and aware of our client’s situation and requirements.
Clients need their agency to provide a wide range of different things, from “do it exactly like this” all the way to “be highly creative” to “we don’t know what we want” or “help us work out what we should do”.
Some agencies prefer to adopt an inflexible, templated way of dealing with those requests. Others ignore the client’s requests and do whatever they want. This is never good.
Studio 55’s founder worked in inflexible agencies. She saw firsthand how upset clients were when the agency missed the point or dropped the ball, came up short or delivered late. Studio 55 has always focussed on understanding exactly what is needed and why, and has delivered exactly that. There is no “my way or the highway”. The client gets what the client wants.
Being responsive is key. Studio 55 is set up to handle the tightest deadline requests, even those without notice. Call us with the impossible, and you will receive a “sure, no problem” response every time.
We can say that with absolute confidence because we have been doing exactly that for over 20 years. We have the networks, the capacity and the experience to achieve the impossible. We’ve never failed.
Why do we do this? Because this is what the market needs and this is what the market demands.
This principle is about being a solid performer. It is about accuracy in production. It is about being reliable and dependable.
When a client calls, they don’t want excuses. They don’t want to have a different experience on every job. And they sure as hell do not want errors in the work. It is sloppy, it wastes their time and reflects badly on everyone involved.
The “that’ll do” attitude or “near enough is good enough” will only force the client to leave and work with another company who can listen, follow instructions, double check their work… and spell!
If an agency is too rigid or set in its ways, it complicates its relationship with its client. If an agency makes its client fit in with them or jump through their hoops or work on their terms, the client will not have a good experience.
Studio 55 knows this and works to actively avoid it. We don’t do “one size fits all”. Everything we do is tailor-made for each client. We have never made a client’s life harder and we never will because we know it is obnoxious and entitled, and worse, it pisses people off.
Studio 55 deliberately strikes an operational balance between having enough structure to function effectively while still being flexible enough to adjust to working in whatever way our clients need.
Bruce Lee says it best in his philosophy, “Be like water”. Water can adapt to whatever is needed. When you pour water into a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. The point is that water is incredibly adaptable while retaining its integrity. It is still water.
This is how we work with our clients.
We have a mantra… Don’t show us the money, let us show you the value!
It’s about what we can give, not what we can get. We are not going to entice you with free work only to lock you in and rip you off. We are not going to quote stupidly high prices because of misplaced ego or arrogance. We are not going to charge for every second of our time, and every small change.
Instead, we aim to be affordable and flexible. We are always accessible when it comes to discussing budgets, and we approach the subject of fees with the view to compromise and achieve a win/win.
And once that is done, what do we always do? MORE than we are paid for, that’s what.
When Christine Clarke began Studio 55 in 1995, it was not because the world needed another creative studio. There were thousands of those. It was because the world needed a studio with integrity! She has always wanted clients to have the best experience working with Studio 55. As a result, that has been our mandate since day one and is at the core of everything we do. Our interactions with our clients, our suppliers and our team are all grounded in integrity.
You won’t find arrogance, slick sales spin, obnoxious ego or princess behaviour at Studio 55. As our unofficial motto states ‘we don’t talk shit, produce shit or sell shit”.
