Summer Break
The August Summer break starts tomorrow, so it’s a moment to reflect on the past seven months at our studio and the loyal, supportive clients we have had the pleasure to work with. After all, you are only as good as your client allows you to be.
It made me think of a conversation over dinner recently with interior and product designer supreme, Ilse Crawford, who confessed that about 80% of her time is now spent on client retention. Now, Studio Ilse does have some impressive, long-term clients (think Cathay Pacific) and she has certainly been successful in the retention arena. It was a sobering conversation as (although I didn’t admit it then) it’s a tactic I am pretty rubbish at. I have a tendency to get irritated, perhaps bored by some long-term clients which leads to a kind of self sabotage. Inevitably they go elsewhere and work with another, more compliant, and perhaps cheaper agency. That said – we are still managing to cling on to some good 'uns – primarily down to the talents and good grace of my team who compensate admirably for terrible TC. Thank you to, amongst others, CUPRA, Emeco, Fortune, Macallan, Qatar Foundation, Singapore Economic Development Board, Stellar Works and Thames & Hudson, for putting up with me.
A much deeper moment of reflection hit me this month as I realised that July marked 40 years since I graduated from Central St Martins School of Art & Design. 1986 was the year of Reagan, Thatcher and Gorbachev, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster, and numerous airplane hijacks. On a lighter note, Madonna’s ‘Papa Don’t Preach’ was the UK number one single in July 1986 and the month earlier saw Maradona’s infamous ‘hand of God’ goal against England in Mexico. 23 July also saw the then Prince Andrew, Duke of York marry Sarah, Fergie, Ferguson. They both seemed rather good at client retention back then – it’s just a shame about their standard of client.
I was a lucky sod in July 1986. Having interned at The Sunday Times Magazine the previous year, I was offered three months full time work in the art department on graduation. Three months turned to six then to 12, and before I knew it, I’d worked there for ten years – learning everything I know about visual storytelling and journalism from Art Director Michael Rand and his brilliant team.
We lost Michael last year, at the grand old age of 96. I, like many other designers, photographers and journalists who were lucky to pass by his lightbox, owe him so much. Read more about Michael Rand here
Have a great Summer. See you in September.
