What we launched, learned & celebrated in 2017

In the grand scheme of the lifetime of an agency, a year isn’t all that much. But it sure can feel like a lot. 2017 was a busy, dynamic year for us at Tenth Crow Creative, one that involved huge successes and accomplishments, as well as lessons learned, big and small. Here is a quick recap of some highlights of our year!

What we celebrated…

We completed a grand total of 120 projects for one of our long-time clients, National Bank of Middlebury. From new web assets to lobby posters to 16-page newsletters, we helped them accomplish their marketing goals while remaining a beloved cornerstone of their communities. It’s fun to look back on an entire year’s worth of projects completed for an active client, and to be proud of a brand’s evolution through 12 months worth of work. 120 is a big number – and we feel proud about it!

We gave Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew a beautiful new brand, along with a new website with all of the bells and whistles. Dinse is one of the largest and most respected law firms in the region, and as we got to know them, we found out that they’re an exemplary group of people with a heart of gold to boot. We are excited to continue working with them to bring their new brand to life through strategic advertising and content production.

We stepped outside our professional-services wheelhouse to design and launch P.volve, a new, revolutionary fitness brand based in NYC. Along the way, we learned more about fitness and nutrition – just in time for new years resolutions.

We designed and built a website for an up-and-coming design and build firm in Vermont called Imhotep, giving them a solid footing on which to keep growing. Based in Addison County, Imhotep is dedicated to improving experiences through unexpected design and build solutions, and it was a thrill to work for such a talented group of professionals!

We welcomed new team members Jill and Casey, adding new personalities and many years of cumulative experience to the mix. You can find Jill masterfully media planning in our front room, and Casey delighting clients with clever illustrations upstairs. (P.S. – that group shot above was taken on a company hike this summer, before they joined our group and before we said goodbye to a great team member. When it comes to teams at work, it’s that nothing is as certain as change!)

What we learned…

Documenting processes helps everyone improve. We made a big effort this year to formalize and enhance our processes, and in doing so, learned a lot about ourselves, effeciency, and the importance of asking a lot of questions at the start of every project and along the way.

Going the extra mile is always worth it. We view ourselves as partners to our clients, and take their goals seriously…as if they’re our own. When faced this year with crazy-fast turnaround deadlines or the chance to be a true advisor, we learned (or, were reminded) that stepping up to the plate for someone else, no matter how difficult,  helps builds long-term trust in a way that just can’t be matched.

The cobbler’s children must have shoes! As an agency always focused on our clients, it’s all too easy to let our own marketing work take the back burner. We learned this year that that’s not a sustainble long-term strategy – we are committed to making the time and putting in the effort to make our own brand shine.

And the last lesson, which we’ll carry with us into the new year, is that it’s all about attitude.Challenges can look like walls of doom from one angle, or like new opportunities for growth from another. Individual attitude affects team attitude, which affects quality of work and daily satisfaction. Making time to enjoy each other’s company and remind ourselves of the great fortune of the work we have to do every day is central to making our culture feel vibrant and enabling. Here’s to a great 2018 – cheers!