LEADING BRAND AND COMMS. CONSULTANT PIVOTS TO CREATE NEW AGENCY MODEL IN 2020

Suzy Socker is expert at telling stories for global brands, running campaigns on behalf of the best-known agencies in the world.

A proficient networker, Suzy has a Rolodex of connections and has built her reputation from nurturing relationships. This is now paying dividends as she builds a community of talented people working together to help each other out. In the process, she has hit upon an approach which is winning respect and clients for her own business.

Communications jobs have been hit in 2020 and make up a chunk of the likely 7.6m jobs lost to Covid-19. Suzy’s was one of these, having been made redundant a week before the first lockdown. First – she panicked. Then reflected. Then pivoted her whole career.

She had wanted to set up as a freelance brand and communications consultant for three years so now seemed a good time. In her words: “what’s the worst that can happen? There aren’t any jobs out there anyway!”

Her approach to new clients was as if she had a full agency behind her – but a virtual one.

Her connections stepped up with a range of credentials that enabled her to respond to all kinds of briefs with creativity and her signature rigour.

Clients have responded to the ‘agile-agency’ approach with enthusiasm. They see the benefits of employing a best-in-class team who can flex to any brief at nearly half the usual big-agency cost.

She said: “The virtual agency model can flex and adapt because I don’t have the same cost structures. I’m overwhelmed by the talent who have wanted to jump on board. I think maybe the old model is dead.

“Fear got me going. Now I need to maintain the momentum.”