As we come to the end of the year and as our client teams sign off for Christmas, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on 2023. January 2023 marked the start of a new chapter for IGNIFI with a new leadership team in place to take us forward and, on a personal level, me taking on the role of Managing Director.
Over the last few years as an agency, we have experienced growth in the size of our team but also in the services we offer through an increased demand from our healthcare clients, specifically for digital solutions. When I assumed my new role at the beginning of the year, I had high expectations about what we could deliver. However, as I reflect on the past twelve months, I am truly amazed and proud of the remarkable accomplishments we have achieved at IGNIFI.
An exciting 2023
It’s been a challenging year for businesses operating in what has been an unpredictable economic climate, but thanks to the support of our clients, we’ve achieved our growth goals and targets for 2023. We are sincerely grateful for this support and the trust our clients continue to place with us.
We’re excited to have welcomed new clients and strengthened our relationships with long-standing ones. Seeing our clients successfully launch new brands and deliver some incredible promotional campaigns has been a pleasure for our team to support.
We’ve been there for our clients every step of the way, providing strategic input, facilitating workshops, and creating engaging digital materials including omnichannel content, social media campaigns and e-learning materials. It’s been a valuable learning experience for both parties, and we’re eager to apply these lessons in 2024.
Awards and events
In March, IGNIFI received ‘highly commended’ recognition for four of our entries at the 2023 Veterinary Marketing Awards. Our achievements encompassed various categories such as ‘digital innovation’, ‘veterinary advertising’, ‘point of sale’, and ‘integrated digital’. We want to extend a huge congratulations to our team members who dedicated their efforts to crafting the creative and digital assets that earned us these prestigious awards. Well done!
For the first time, IGNIFI also decided to participate in the PM Society Digital Awards this year. It was an exciting moment for us to learn we had become finalists in three categories, including the prestigious ‘Digital Agency of the Year’ award. Additionally, we were extremely proud to have contributed to the digital development of a rare disease patient resource centre, which went on to win a ‘Gold’ award at the ceremony.
In October our team attended the RARE Summit 2023, where we interacted with experts and individuals affected by rare diseases. This event helped us enhance our understanding and support in one of our key areas of expertise. Over the course of this year, through collaboration with our rare disease clients and attending internal knowledge sessions led by our in-house rare disease experts, our team has gained valuable insights and learned how to effectively develop nuanced communications for this highly specialised audience.
Our team
Without the unwavering dedication and collaborative efforts of each team member at IGNIFI, none of these accomplishments would have been possible. I often refer to our team as having a remarkable quality known as ‘GRIT’, which guarantees that we not only get things done, but we also excel in the things we do. This trait is reflected in the team’s unwavering passion, determination, and resilience, as we consistently adopt a positive and proactive approach toward all tasks and projects.
It’s been a pleasure to welcome seven new faces to the IGNIFI team this year, all of whom share this same passion and determination. These talented individuals have not only added additional resource but have also enhanced the range of skills we provide to our clients. This includes strengthening our knowledgeable CS team, bolstering our digital expertise with UX/UI experience, and adding further content writing capabilities.
We have made significant progress in enhancing our internal systems and processes to optimise efficiency while also prioritising personal development. Throughout the year, we have dedicated more than 1000 hours to personal development and training, successfully completing numerous online and classroom courses. Our team members have actively participated in courses offered by organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Veterinary Marketing Association, and Udemy.
Sharing the highs and lows
Making IGNIFI a great place to work is paramount in my role to show gratitude for the work carried out by the team. It’s been great to collectively celebrate our successes with several team social events and also introduce our two new staff benefits, Medicash and Yulife.
Throughout the year, we’ve had some exciting personal milestones to celebrate. Laura Powell, our Senior Medical Account Manager, tied the knot in the middle of the ocean. Lucy Rimmer, our Senior Digital Developer, welcomed baby Charlotte into the world back in June. And the good news doesn’t stop there, as we have another IGNIFI new arrival due in February (there must be something in the water).
Amongst the highs, we did suffer some devastating news back in March when we said a final farewell to our beloved colleague and friend, Claire Hodgson. Her strength and kindness will forever be a source of inspiration for all of us. As a team, we have chosen to honour Claire’s memory by fundraising for the Anthony Nolan charity throughout this year and beyond.
I want to express my gratitude to every member of the IGNIFI team. Your expertise, dedication and ‘GRITTY’ attitudes have hugely contributed to a successful year. To our valued clients, both longstanding and new, I want to extend a special thank you for your continued support and for choosing IGNIFI.
On behalf of the entire agency, I can confidently say that we are excited to accomplish even more amazing things together in 2024.
Posted by John Horn
Managing Director
