A Creative approach
Chances are you will have seen their ads in these very pages. You may have even read the interview in the last issue where Account Director, Will Wright, talked about their creative approach to property marketing.
But what do you really know about White Space?
What makes them tick and why would you enjoy working with them?
We caught up with Will to find out more about the company’s culture and what it is that’s made White Space the agency of choice for some of the most respected names in property development.
“I think what really sets us apart is our all-inclusive approach to the creative process. We run creativity clubs involving clients, partners and suppliers – everyone from the new apprentice to the chief exec! As far as we’re concerned no idea is a bad one, so we encourage everyone to put forward
ideas and suggestions without fear of ridicule. “One of our more recent sessions stands out in particular.
Without giving away too many trade secrets, the technique required participants to take on the persona of a superhero, which led to a rather surreal turn of events as I’m sure you can imagine, but the end results were spectacular and everyone went away feeling motivated by the experience.
“We also work hard to make sure we get the basics right.
A lot of marketing agencies nowadays seem to get carried away with execution and overlook the fundamentals that really make the difference to a campaign’s effectiveness.
Frankly, I’m amazed they’re still in business.” According to the White Space website, the creative process is all about people, so presumably understanding who you’re talking to and how they want to be communicated with is vital?
“We’re big on plain speaking at White Space. No-one wants to be told things they already know and no-one’s impressed by clever marketing speak or meaningless acronyms.
“Take our campaign for The Hub from Higgins Homes for example. We found out who we were talking to – young professionals – and tailored bespoke, jargon-free advertising materials to that specific audience. Higgins got seven reservations from our town centre leaflets alone, which is a fantastic return on investment.
“Our clients really respond to our clear, concise and creative approach. We’ve been working with some of them for a few years now, and even our more recent clients are coming back to us with new projects, so we’re clearly doing something right.”
But as the superhero technique proves, it’s not all work and no play at White Space. “Of course we take what we do seriously, but it’s important to keep perspective and keep people motivated if you want to get the best out of them.
We’ve dedicated an area of our new website to the things we find inspirational, in the hope that
visitors will get a sense of who we are as people. “We also try to bring an element of fun to our presentations, and I think that goes a long way towards explaining why we’ve won so many pitches recently. We’re not interested in dry, corporate waffle that doesn’t really say anything, so we
wouldn’t inflict it on our clients.”
One of the most intriguing spectacles, and an intrinsic part of the White Space week, is the phenomenon known simply as Draw@4.
Will explains…
“At the end of a rewarding week we like to indulge in some healthy competition. So at 4pm every Friday afternoon we hold a drawing contest like no other. The rules are simple. The previous week’s winner chooses the subject and we all have two minutes to draw it to the best of our (in some cases limited) abilities, then they select a winner.
“The results range from the sublime to the ridiculous, but no matter how challenging the week has been, Draw@4 ensures we go into the weekend on a high, and that’s important. In fact, some of our clients have seen the light and are now drawing at 4 too!”
The first thing you notice upon entering the White Space office is the company vision painted big and bold on the wall. “To always be on an adventure, alive, heroic even – our ideas fresh, our people brilliant. Our partners will know us for our honest and intelligent approach and together… we will
create magic.”
The cynical amongst you might see this as a marketing gimmick, but Will is quick to point out that the statement serves as a permanent reminder of why the agency is in business.
“We don’t just trot it out when we’re filling in tenders, it’s a belief that we all share every day we come to work. The vision is a distillation of our core values, but if I had to pick out just one word it would be ‘adventure’.
“I don’t want to get all X-factor and start harping on about “the journey”, but I look upon the creative process as being an exciting adventure from one project to the next. We’re always learning from everything we do and taking that knowledge forward with us. It’s fair to say that no-one understands the product as well as the client, so it’s important that we learn from them in order to better
interpret the message to the customer.
“Our strength as an agency comes from working together and sharing knowledge as a team, whether it’s with the big boys like Crest Nicholson and Banner Homes, or more bespoke developers like Highland. And yes, we’ve won some awards along the way, but we won’t bore you with that.
“Our definition of success is simple. Happy Clients. If they’re happy, we’re happy!”
To find out how White Space can help breathe life into your next development, or to request a pocket-size version of their portfolio, visit www.white-spaceproperty.com, call 01473 228811 or email [email protected].
