With 2013 research from Nielsen revealing that overall billings for creative agencies fell by 1.72% last year, many of the UK’s design agencies will be looking ahead to 2014 with some trepidation. Many may even be worried about whether they have a viable future.

So, they might be surprised to learn that a full service design agency, Cubiquity, has just been included in the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100.

Four years to £6.4m

Based in Surrey, Cubiquity produces work across a wide range of sectors, from window displays for Marks & Spencer in 32 countries, to lead digital campaign creative for Travelex UK and EMEA, as well as a host of other on- and offline projects for clients including, Easyjet, the NHS and Taylor Wimpey.

The company was set up just four years ago by a quartet of founders, including Kevin Rowland, 46, and Shane Inger, 42. It has grown rapidly, achieving sales of £6.4 m this year.

Passion and service

How has it achieved this? Dan Mitchell, Creative Director, believes there are three vital elements. “Firstly, because we house design and print all under one roof we can deliver a seamless service to our clients,” he says. “Our passion for high-quality creative ideas is underpinned by a collaborative production process. In a nutshell, we work smarter, we respond more rapidly, and everyone in the chain benefits.”

He continues: “Secondly, we have a relentless focus on customer service. We invest in our client-facing teams so that they understand the brief, and then work closely with those clients to ensure they are happy with the finished product.”

Sales

Finally, he believes it is essential to let potential customers know about your offer. “You cannot achieve sales growth of that order without an effective business development process,” he explains. “We have a great in-house team and we also work with Red Setter, a business development agency for creative businesses. They have helped us identify target markets, approach those markets, and build relationships with potential clients. In the first year of working with Red Setter we picked up three important new clients.”

Claire Blyth, Director of Red Setter, adds: “Far too many creative agencies believe that new business development is ineffective. The truth is that too often it’s done badly. Our small team of highly experienced and skilled marketers produces results for our clients who are all creative agencies like Cubiquity. We look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead to help them achieve even greater success.”

Further growth

Indeed, in 2014 Cubiquity is on track for sales of £8m. Mitchell concludes: “This is a great accolade for our business and all members of the team are extremely proud.  However we also recognise that this achievement would not have been possible without the opportunities provided by our fantastic customers.”