Happy Birthday to Us. But mostly, Thank You.

Two years ago I left my role as Social Media Manager at World Vision Australia. It was a scary move. I wasn’t sure exactly where I was headed, but I was hopeful.

If we’re being honest, digital marketing in Australia isn’t always excellent. When I lived in America, I saw how great American brands used digital to interact with customers. It was inspiring, innovative and in-touch. But in Australia, the brands I grew up loving – even great Australian brands – were way behind.

Here, marketing teams were under-resourced, scared, and struggling to keep up. Brands that did invest in digital were outsourcing instead of building capacity, and measuring success by vanity metrics like impressions, followers, and fans.

Great digital is more than vanity metrics. Great digital transforms an organisation.

I saw this transformation first-hand. When digital is done right, companies are transformed by their customers. They deliver better products, better customer service, and a better experience. Customers become actual ‘fans’ and advocates. Old processes are replaced; new ideas flourish. Better stories are told, and better stories are created.

The truth is that when digital is done right, it’s uncomfortable. At World Vision, that meant answering hard questions instead of hiding from them. Not just the digital team – the whole organisation needed to buy-in. From the CEO to the call centre, it meant being open, honest, and authentic.

Great digital is not business as usual. But when you do it right, you can truly connect with people: listening, learning, striving to be better.

Sometimes, great digital simply means being more human.

*           *           *

It’s been two years.

What started as a single account has grown to over twenty clients in three countries. We have more than a dozen brilliant staff across Melbourne, Seattle and New York. We’ve grown 60% year after year, and last month we won ‘Highly Commended’ for Mumbrella’s ‘Emerging Agency of the Year’. Tonight I’ll be in Sydney with three nominations at the Women in Media awards, which is amazing, humbling, and just a tiny bit unbelievable.

To be honest, I didn’t start ntegrity with growth or awards in mind. I wanted to make a difference – and over the last two years, we have.

We’ve helped great not-for-profits raise funds more efficiently. We’ve helped businesses become more data-driven. We’ve brought new (healthier) products to market by creating demand first. We’ve seen companies start to believe in digital-first campaigns, and be amazed by the results.

And we’re committed to being a force for good.

Our team is encouraging and supportive. We always strive to do what’s right for our clients. Always.

Our business model is to empower our clients, not make them dependent on us. We tell the truth. We share profits with employees. We pay and promote our interns, which is not always the case in this industry. Beyond our company, we sponsored Australia’s first Startup Weekend Women. Each month, we run a group that unites and encourages female startup leaders. We donate to great causes.

We do these things because we measure success differently. It’s our vision – it’s in our name.

And the reason we’re able to do these things is because we have amazing clients who choose to work with us. I rarely go a day without saying out loud, to anyone who will listen: “We have the best clients in the world.”

Thank you.

To everyone who has sent an encouraging message, who has recommended our services, who has believed: thank you. Words cannot express my gratitude. Thank you for being a part of our story.

And finally, to the exceptional team that has made it happen: Bec, Charles, DC, Eloise, Greta, Hannah, Ivan, Jackie H, Jackie O, Joy, Kara, Leanne, Lindsey, Rhonda, Romena, Sally, Sara, Sarah, Sian, Stephan and Todd – thank you. You are kind, talented, and inspire me every day. Thank you for your hard work, and for making ntegrity a success.

Watch this space. Big things ahead. Including a birthday party invite!