Member News
Newcastle-based O.agency is turning traditional workplace stereotypes on their head with the launch of a new brand strategy service for businesses looking to attract and retain great people.
‘The Truth about Tribes’ approach has been developed by the creative strategy agency, who have delved into data insights and consumer trends to develop a model which will help clients understand their people better, from their motivators to their values, to find what binds them together – regardless of age, background or experience.
To launch the People Brand strategy programme O has partnered with behaviour experts Duo Global Consulting to combine their human insights understanding with the creative agency’s decades of knowledge in the consumer marketing world.
Kari Owers, founder of O agency, said: “The topic of generations is everywhere, from the Generation Z ‘quiet quitting’ trend to the Millennial Managers memes and endless media articles on the rise of ‘5G’ workplaces. We like to challenge stereotypes and our research shows a different reality, which has led to a new way of thinking when it comes to employer brand.
“We believe that motivational behaviours tell us so much more about the generation than the year they were born. Having worked in marketing for decades, we know that generational consumer personas are tired and out-dated – if a 60-year-old and an 18-year-old can wear the same pair of Dr. Martens and enjoy the same soft drink, then why do we think people behave differently at work? It is this thinking that has led to us developing a programme that helps businesses understand their team better, then design a creative brand message that can work, inside and out, to truly retain and attract the right people, saving them time and money in a challenging marketplace for recruitment.”
Sarah Callender, Human Behaviour Expert and COO at Duo Global Consulting, commented:
“Working closely with cross-sector businesses, their leaders and people teams, we see first hand how easy it can be to get a People Strategy wrong by making assumptions about perceived ‘people personas’ and motivators. By partnering with O who can bring these messages to life in a super-creative way, we can provide the behavioural insight that really helps businesses understand what drives and motivates their people and how to use this information to stand out in their sector.”
O was recently awarded North East Marketing Agency of the Year, for the third time in a row, at the North East Marketing Awards 2023 in recognition of its creative work and its commitment to young people in the region. It works with well-known brands and businesses including Fenwick, IamProperty, Flymo and Womble Bond Dickinson.
In recognition of how its own positive people practice has contributed to the agency’s business success, O has been shortlisted in the Excellence in SME People Practices category at the North East HR&D Awards, announced this June.
Duo Global Consulting has recently launched a new approach for leaders to better understand their people through the introduction of its Perform Platform. Underpinned by behavioural profiling, this innovative leadership development platform enables leaders to better understand both themselves and the behavioural drivers of their team to maximise their impact and better attract, engage and retain high performers.
