Candid and agencies M2Media, STROOM, De Media Maatschap, Daily Dialogues, Havana Harbor and Online Company have achieved top rankings in the Emerce100. The annual ranking of the best companies in e-business in the Netherlands.
In this interview, Saskia Wagenmakers, Jasmijn Bouwmeester, Samantha Catsburg, Sjef Kerkhofs, Fabienne Jungerhans and Rene Smeding talk about working with clients and collaborating with the agencies within the Candid platform.
For brands it is essential to integrate media, creation, data and technology to connect with their target audience. Candid platform is designed to achieve this. An optimal collaboration between specialized agencies with their own identity and culture breaks down all barriers.
The largest independent marketing and communications platform in the Netherlands sees that the market is increasingly embracing its strategy. Candid is also growing internationally. The platform brings strong and distinctive agencies together in an integrated platform. Within Candid there are no silos for clients. They can interact directly with one or more agencies or with a specially equipped multidisciplinary team. "The platform offers marketing and communication solutions that are data-inspired, technology-supported and creativity-driven. But that above all achieve growth for our clients." The objective when founded in 2007 "to solve clients' increasingly complex marketing and communications issues" still stands tall.
Candid platform brings together all marketing disciplines
Entrepreneurial spirit
All thirteen member agencies are individually very strong, with their own culture and identity ánd have the best specialists in house. "At Candid, we understand that agencies perform best when they continue to work in the way that is most motivating for their colleagues and clients," says Saskia Wagenmakers, Chief Client Officer Candid. "That way they can stay ahead within their own discipline and keep the entrepreneurial spirit. We share, without exception, the values of entrepreneurship, cooperation, openness and, above all, guts."
The platform is organized around a common goal and a shared belief. "By uniting the creative strengths of our agencies, we can integrate media, creativity, digital, data and technology to the maximum. This is how we deliver the best solutions and business results for our clients. This is work that touches and connects where impact, performance and results are central."
Clients can concentrate on their business and be confident that their marketing, communications and media interests will be optimized as the client desires. Clients can choose to work with one or more agencies. This way we are maximally agile and can respond to clients' current needs. We find that clients are absolute fans of this approach. A good example is Blokker, which is supported by almost all agencies in its transition to the largest online and offline store for cooking, dining and household. And the pitch for the Floriade, for example, was really won because of the power of the integrated offer.
Integrated offerings
Member agencies are divided into three service tiers: Creative & Consulting Agencies, Digital Specialist Services and Media. Together, they offer solutions for every stage of the marketing funnel.
"The foundation of the Candid platform is that we put the customer first and always look at the bigger picture."clarifies Saskia. Each agency in its own right is very good at at least one specific specialty while being able to work well with others. This requires a broad understanding of other people's work and different perspectives. It leads to a balanced and qualitatively integrated service offering. "We continuously share best practices and look at our customers' challenges from different perspectives. As a result, we see innovations accelerate and the quality of our work improves."
Power of media
Change is a constant variable in the media landscape. New entrants, changes in media consumption and also the possibilities in media itself change both technically and purchasing tactically. The consolidation of operators in the Dutch market also makes it more difficult for advertisers to make the right choices. In addition, there are often questions that are broader than the media issue.
"Experience shows that a broad knowledge of media as well as integrated communication produces the best media advice. We couple this knowledge with real attention for the client," says Samantha Catsburg of full-service media agency STROOM, which leads this year's list of media agencies with 6.5 stars. "From an integrated approach, we offer the most impactful and effective media advice. This is how our clients grow and we grow with them."
Our specialty agencies are individually strong and work together optimally
Driven by results
The entrepreneurial nature at M2Media routinely leads to the question, "What would we do if it were our own money? "Media is a means, not the solution," said M2Media's Jasmijn Bouwmeester. To best assist clients, M2Media is developing alternatives to the expensive TV GRP and preparing them for a cookie-less and more privacy savvy world. And they make a difference with marketing tooling.
Standing alongside the client and taking responsibility for the outcome is what makes M2Media unique and leads to long-term client relationships. "We look beyond media buying, develop with the client, be part of their team and connect the right people to their issue."
Optimal digital experience
The entrepreneurial nature at M2Media routinely leads to the question, "What would we do if it were our own money? "Media is a means, not the solution," said M2Media's Jasmijn Bouwmeester. To best assist clients, M2Media is developing alternatives to the expensive TV GRP and preparing them for a cookie-less and more privacy savvy world. And they make a difference with marketing tooling.
Standing alongside the client and taking responsibility for the outcome is what makes M2Media unique and leads to long-term client relationships. "We look beyond media buying, develop with the client, be part of their team and connect the right people to their issue."
The best (e)-commerce results
Initiating, creating and managing (online) sales is the core focus of digital performance agency Online Company. In doing so, it looks in the broadest sense at changes needed for improved sales and returns, online and offline. According to René Smeding, MD of Online Company, it is essential to look not only at channel activation and control, but also at the organization and its set-up. And if necessary, Online Company, in consultation of course, takes the lead in progress monitoring on all variables that influence performance. When the growth potential is limited or maximum results are not achieved, Online Company switches with Havana Harbor for UX-CRO within the Candid platform, for example. This allows them to continue to optimize all axes. "Control over all the different moving online parts makes it ultimately about only one thing: return on investment for our client."
Social with 7 stars
Expressing mutual trust and respect is the true form of collaboration. And for Daily Dialogues, with seven stars this year, THE social media agency of the Netherlands, that above all does not need to be enshrined in page-long SLAs and contracts. Relationships with clients therefore rarely have a clearly defined "client-supplier" agreement. Working together also means keeping each other on their toes, according to Sjef Kerkhofs: "We see it as our moral duty to point out to clients the possibilities and opportunities, but also the limitations and risks of social media. Especially since privacy and brand reputation are going to play an increasingly important role in all online activities."
At daily dialogues, a conscious decision was made to specialize in channels. The full service provider's services in social media marketing can be roughly divided into two pillars. The first is social media relations, which focuses on building and maintaining conversations with clients' target audience(s). The second is called social media maturity. This includes services aimed at developing the organization.
T-shaped
Meanwhile, the platform gives over three hundred national and international clients access to the best specialists (vertical axis) as well as serving clients across the board with integrated media and marketing solutions (horizontal axis).
Good teams, perfect professionals, fine culture and sharing the right values with each other; these are important assets within the Candid platform. "As Candid, we facilitate this as much as possible," says CCO Saskia. "We organize spar sessions on clients with a multidisciplinary team or brainstorm from different perspectives without a client asking. Often super cool things come out of that that you can take to your client anyway."
Collaboration
Candid invests a lot in knowledge sharing for our own people and also with customers. For example, every quarter we have a "Candid about..." client event where we look at major topics with our clients from a broader perspective. Internally we have monthly master classes and breakout sessions on relevant topics and clients. There are regular knowledge sessions with external parties and during our Commerce day once a quarter strategists and commercial people spar about current customer topics.
Also important: there is a uniform way of working on systems, processes, reporting and contracts, among other things. These are business components that need to run well, but which everyone likes to spend as little time on as possible. "Customers don't have to onboard a 'new' agency at Candid all the time. All the energy is therefore free for the real customer challenges."