Many years ago, when I was director of marketing at the Institute of Hospitality, I remember being very aware of the importance of milestones, particularly for small businesses.
When I left the IOH to launch Custard in 2007 I remember being advised that if I could make it to three years I would be okay. Having no doubt in my mind that my business ethic and creativity would stand me in good stead, I also recognised that to succeed in business would mean building a team that could echo these traits and bring even more to the table for our clients.
We made it to three years, then made it to five years, every year growing in confidence and building a reputation for Custard that had meaning.
Our team were made up of strong, determined individuals with a real talent in marketing and communication and an ability to script stories out of thin air. It was a crazy time in business and we won some great accounts, but we had to keep pushing to grow smartly and safely and to take our clients and our team on this great journey.
The last five years, have been the toughest but the best. Time goes very fast when you are measuring it by anniversaries, milestones and seasons and in the hospitality industry it goes by even quicker. I would not have wished away the last five or ten years as these have been the most exciting years of my life and that’s all down to an incredible team and the fast pace of hospitality.
The 12 strong team we have now is a far cry from the two individuals who sat in a damp office on the back of a football pitch. There have been changes in the team of course and we’ve been sorry to see some great Custards leave the team but have been flattered and delighted when they have gone on to seize their dreams and be selected for their great talent which we helped develop. Our growth has been ethical, organic and steady but our vision remains as ambitious and exciting as ever.
To be the best.
To be the biggest is easy. To be the best is a hard slog and takes constant dedication and resilience. Our unrelenting passion for being better every day makes working at Custard tough. We never stop striving to be greater than the day before and to achieve more than the previous campaign. Our pursuit for perfection makes it a fast-paced, unforgiving environment but our support, mentoring and nurturing nature ensures we have the right balance to keep everyone in the team moving forward with a big Custard grin on their face.
Our existence is to help businesses to thrive, to showcase what great hospitality looks like and to inspire businesses and consumers to engage with our clients. However, we also exist to develop and train incredible talent who can really make the PR and marketing industry be seen as one of the most professional industries to enter. PR is not just about press releases, launches or editorial. It is about strength of message, conviction, positioning and reputation. All of which leads to success, not just externally but internally. PR can help a business and its team to really cement their values and develop a lucrative commercial opportunity.
The hospitality industry is exactly where I love to be. It is strong, creative and agile. It does however, need stronger, smarter PR and marketing to make it more robust and appealing to the fickle consumer. The next year will provide an excellent opportunity for hotels and venues to really analyse their use of data with GDPR coming in to force in May. Not only will this trigger a better approach to data management but it will bring marketing to the forefront of business decisions. Hotels and venues will need to address these changes and really analyse their use of marketing budget and methods of communication to their audience. We see this as an opportunity to raise awareness of what PR can do for a business but also the importance of good, robust marketing communications.
I wish I had time to sit and reflect fully on what the last ten years has brought to me and to the team, but I’m glad that our clients are keeping us so busy we have to keep moving forward and get on with the job in hand!
Ten years is an achievement, survival and growth is an achievement. Being happy in your work is the greatest achievement and being the best? Well, that’s for our clients and the industry to decide.
