How a big inbound marketing agency put us in our place

We were so humbled and excited to receive an email from the Marketing Association informing us that we had been selected as finalists in our category for the 2017 NZDM Awards to be held at the Cordis Auckland (formerly The Langham) on the 1st march 2018.

We were overwhelmed by the messages of congratulations. You're all awesome and thank you so much for your support over the first 12 months of us being a 'proper' agency.

One of the nicest messages we received was from Boyd Wason, the Managing Director of the inbound marketing agency Done By Friday. We've got a long-running love affair with DBF and their work. They're arguably New Zealand's best inbound marketing agency and are leading the field with helping businesses manage their inbound marketing through HubSpot.

They're a little more experienced on the awards scene than we are. Last year they won the Industry Gold, Channel Gold, Craft Gold, Nexus Gold, Nexus Silvers and Industry Bronze for their work with Gareth Morgan Investments. Yeah….that’s pretty impressive.

This year they are also finalists in the Industry and Channel Awards for their work with Framecad and The Wilderness Way. You’ll also see them in the finalist roll in the Nexus Awards. Basically these guys are a big deal.

We position DBF as a benchmark for our own success. They became a Gold level HubSpot partner agency within 12 months of becoming a partner agency - we achieved the same. Within 3 years they were becoming New Zealand’s first Platinum agency and whereas we can’t be the first (we can’t even be the second now!) we have the same ambition.

Having a business that leads the industry in the way Done By Friday does helps smaller agencies, like us, realise that great things are possible. 12 months ago we were welcoming our first full time employee into the office, now we’re filling our 4th desk.

In all honesty we’re just happy to be finalists. We don’t expect to place anywhere notable and entering was more of an exercise in learning how to submit an awards entry at the highest level than any belief that we could come home with something for the shelf.

The other agencies at the awards are companies I would have given anything to work for when I first moved to New Zealand. I see their work everyday and I look at their client roster and am amazed by the calibre of brands they work with.

We don’t have million dollar budgets to create national, multi-channel campaigns. In many cases if a budget reaches the tens of thousands a year we’re pretty chuffed! We create the best marketing we can given some very realistic restrictions and we’re really proud of the results.

When March comes around and we’re watching the big agencies collect their awards we might be clapping slightly harder when Done By Friday gets their name read out. Not because we’re trying to impress the big players of our industry but because a small email from their Managing Director recognising our achievement meant the world to us. Their efforts have helped us to see that we can aim a little higher and without them I don't think we would be where we are right now.

Sometimes its the small things that make a world of difference.