Ignition dg
Multidisciplinary design agency Ignition DG are only just embarking on their third trading year but already have a string of global clients on the books. Tamasine Johnson caught up with them to find out how they’ve done it, their tips for surviving the recession and why sustainable design is not a dirty word.
“It’s not about swish company cars and first class travel. Everyday, we ask ourselves: can we sell sustainability to our clients and then not live it ourselves? And every day the answer is the same – no.”
Sitting in a modern but modest boardroom in their offices in Paintworks, Directors Claire Menzies and Samantha Rowe are keen to drive this point home. “Ignition operates as a very prudent business model and we simply don’t waste anything,” says CEO Claire. “This applies to every aspect of our business – we all take responsibility and ask to be held to account for better practices in our daily working lives and as a result we are highly sustainable both in our business outlook and the design solutions we create.” It is this considered, consistent and measurable outlook that has come to make Ignition DG one of the most sort-after multi-discipline agencies on the circuit.
Formed back in December 2006, as part of a MBO, Ignition DG have celebrated outstanding success in their first two years of trading. “We’re only a young company in terms of our name and premises but in terms of our exclusive experience – between our UK team of 15, we have a combined 50+ years in design communications.” And this experience certainly seems to be paying off, with clients including the likes of global pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly – who have just
re-assigned Ignition as their preferred worldwide supplier till 2013, CADW (the Welsh Heritage Society) and local companies like SSL (the highly successful Yatton based company driving innovation and invention of products such as their electronic motorway information signs).
But what exactly does the term ‘multidisciplinary design’ mean? “Well we communicate it all,” says Sam Rowe; Ignition’s enthusiastic and passionate Communications Director. “Everything from branding, corporate literature etc through to exhibition design and management, retail interiors, museums, live event and conferencing. All the creative design is done in-house, as is the management of each of the projects – however when it comes to production we use our approach to efficiency and prudence: we manage a large and well selected sustainable supply chain. We outsource many aspects to global, national and local suppliers and sub-contractors. This means lower operating costs and a wider range of supplier criteria choice which equals secure annual supplier contracts with a wider view on work expectations and planning and most important, consistent, liveable solutions and better long term value for our clients. “
“For example at the moment we are working on a project for a company in Devon called The Tantivy. It’s an old village shop that sells everything (and I mean everything), dating back to 1938. Our client bought it 18 months ago and we’ve been brought in to revamp the shop, the brand, the POS, the website etc – but we also need to keep the heritage of the place intact.
It’s a great project – we’ve really had to consider the brand journey – it’s life expectancy should be healthy to old age and our duty is to educate the client and provide liveable decisions and tools now which will mean the client can make solid, sustainable marketing decisions about their brand as they move forward that will not impact too excessively on finances. This client, like all our clients, should only need Ignition to add to their portfolio, not keep changing it.
But I know what you’re thinking. ‘A design agency looking beyond the here and now, considering the longevity of a brand, instead of hoping the client will love the idea, pay up and then return in a couple of years for a re-brand thus bringing in more cash.’ Well, yes, you’re right; it’s quite unusual as Claire explains. “Every time a company decides to change their image, there are huge financial implications involved. Part of our remit to offer a sustainable answer includes the way we complete our assignments, not just the products we use. We try to ensure that if we are redesigning a brand it’s sustainable and will last. We offer all our clients ongoing advice but want to be able to provide such a great idea that they won’t have to, or want to, change it again for a long time. We offer a ‘liveable decision’.”
As well as offering sustainable business strategies, the team also offer the more common-place green ideas that go hand in hand with sustainability. “We offer everything as part of the package, from recycled business cards and letter headed paper using vegetable inks, through to the bigger projects such as making exhibition stands sustainable. This includes building them using recycled materials through to making them reusable in the future. We have a huge warehouse where we store all out kit and try to make sure we can reuse as much as possible on future projects. It’s crazy the amount of stuff that gets chucked into skips at the end of big exhibitions,” says Sam.
One recent exhibition worked on by Ignition involved building a huge chalet for Etihad airlines. “They are a fairly young UAE airline so have lots of money and are keen to impress their clients,” says Sam. “They asked us to build a chalet for the Farnborough Air Show last year so they could entertain clients.” But, as with most of Ignition’s work, while the brief may sound simple, completing the job required a mammoth push from the whole team. “Normally, when designs have been signed off and planning permission has been granted, a build time on a project of this size would be six weeks. Etihad approached us just four weeks before the show and by the time we’d drafted the designs, sourced labour and got sign off, we had just less than three weeks to build the chalet.”
But, once again, Ignition’s ‘can-do’ attitude and willingness to throw themselves whole-heartedly at each and every one of their projects paid off, “We upped sticks and lived in a field for three weeks,” says Claire. “All the local hotels were full because of the show, so we had to hire two Winnebagos – one for the guys and one for the girls. We lived in them and all pitched in to make it happen- our Finance Manager tiled the loo! Plus, to top it off, on the first day of the show our client made a huge order of Airbus and Boeing airplanes in a multi-billion dollar deal – it was said to be the largest global aircraft order in aviation history! We were so proud to be part of that.”
Having achieved such global success, some people may be amazed to hear that when not jetting around the countryside in Winnebagos, Ignition operates from a small office in South Bristol. However, to Claire and the team, basing their offices here was a no brainier. “Our team come from all over – some are from Bath, some Bristol and others from further afield. We decided that to ensure everyone got a good work-life balance we should try to be central. Also, and very importantly, we heard about Paintworks and just knew the concept would work for us. It’s a sustainable and regenerated site which is what we’re about. We see Paintworks and Bristol generally as a great working example of how we approach our business.”
So, they love their office and they love Bristol, but do Ignition think that being based in the South West has helped or hindered their cause? “It doesn’t matter to our clients,” says Claire. “We made it a project of the business to always talk up the South West – to tell people there is more to Bristol than Nick Park and Brunel. Living and working here makes you different and we use this as leverage. Plus the costs of living and working here are less so we can pass these savings on to our clients.”
Once again, Ignition’s financial awareness prevails, and in times such as these, we are keen to know if they were experiencing any changes as a result of the current economic downturn. “At the moment it’s not affecting us,” says Claire. “As we’ve mentioned, we’ve adopted a really prudent approach as part of our business strategy – we’re not flash – we’re cost effective. A lot of companies travel First Class and drive big swish company cars – they don’t need to do that anyway, but especially not during a recession when the success of a business is all about cash flow.”
And Claire’s right, if Ignition can teach us just one lesson, it’s that successful businesses don’t have to be run by huge multinational corporations. Often it is the little guys that triumph – the ones who have a huge amount of passion, drive and determination but are still constantly aware that every action, no matter how big or small, has a consequence.
Profile:
Business: A multidisciplinary design agency with a vibrant and forward thinking team, we pride ourselves in creating individual solutions through innovative design. With global facilities, specialist designers and expert project managers we are dedicated to delivering our unique design solutions and professional service anywhere in the world.
Started: December 2006
Staff Numbers: 16
Contact: IGNITION DG Ltd Unit 1.1, Paintworks Bath Road, Bristol BS4 3EH.
T: +44 (0) 1179 727110.
sam@ignitiondg.com
www.ignitiondg.com
