June 18, 2024
How many members of staff do you have (including yourself)?
65 in total - 24 in our Digital Hub, Barnstaple (Node Co-work)
Nature of the business - what is it that you do?
*We are a full-service marketing agency offering a brilliantly joined-up portfolio of
services that reflect our holistic approach and recognise that great marketing
must be seamless, from ideas and inspiration to tracking and analysis and
everything in between.
* Google Premier Partner. We have been part of this programme since its inception
in 2015. To qualify, an agency must continuously meet Google’s exacting
requirements in three key areas: best practice, ad spend, and performance
growth. To do so, an agency must manage a team of qualified experts delivering
the highest standard of work, underpinned by progressive thinking.
Who are your typical clients?
We specialise in travel, tourism and hospitality, and have a proven track record of
working with entrepreneurial start-ups, challenger brands and market leaders.
Tell us your story - how did you get started?
Accord was started in 1988 by David Sitwell, our founder and Chairman. Fast-
forward to 2024, and we are a multi-award-winning, proudly independent marketing
agency whose job is to think flexibly, learn fast, respond swiftly, and operate at the
heart of our clients’ businesses.
GROWTH
Signs of growth - has anything particularly noteworthy happened to you or your
business recently?
* Awarded Agency of the Year at the Travel Marketing Awards 2023.
* Retained Google Premier Partner status for the 10th year running in 2024. This
means Google classifies Accord as one of the UK's top 3% of independent
agencies.
* Notable new business wins include Fred. Olsen, Kuoni, Journey Latin America,
and Travel Republic.
What’s been your biggest challenge so far?
The marketing landscape is constantly evolving. Every day, there are new ways to
engage, connect and influence via new channels, opportunities and tactics. Keeping
up with this pace of change can be challenging.
How did you overcome this?
* We keep our clients at the centre of everything we do by understanding their
needs, preferences, and pain points, and using this knowledge to tailor innovative
digital strategies.
* We foster collaboration within our team and with media and technology partners.
By working together, we can leverage diverse perspectives and expertise to
tackle complex challenges more effectively.
* Cultivate Innovation: By encouraging a culture of innovation and agility, we
empower our teams to think creatively, experiment with new ideas, and positively
respond to change.
* Continuous Learning: Last but not least, everyone in the business is tasked with
staying up to date with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in the
sectors we work in. To make this possible, we continue to invest in an eclectic
range of strategy and planning tools, as well as training workshops, webinars and
online courses.
What’s been your biggest success/what are you most proud of?
* Building an award-winning digital marketing team based in Barnstaple.
* Our Digital Academy programme. Launched in 2016, it delivers best-in-class
training via specialist modules and one-to-one coaching. All modules are taught,
tested, and learned through immediate application in the workplace, with tutors
providing regular support and in-depth feedback.
* Maintaining our position as the leading independent marketing agency in the
travel, tourism, and hospitality sector.
* Our long-established and very successful partnerships with a host of travel
associations and trade media companies. Working together, we organise and
sponsor events, produce white papers, commission research, write blogs and
deliver industry presentations.
TOWNSQ MEMBERSHIP
How long have you been a Townsq member?
Three years.
How did you learn about TownSq/the hub you are a member of?
When the building was announced.
Anything else interesting or noteworthy you would like to mention?
Our high employee engagement and retention stats are worth mentioning, with
attrition at under 10% for the third year in a row. We can confidently say that our
employees are motivated, fulfilled and committed to their work, and Accord.
We are very proud of our employer brand, which continues to attract top talent and
strengthens our position in a very competitive job market.
What are your social media handles?
www.linkedin.com/in/simongear