Marketing Intelligence by Iain Johnston

We’ve moved.

We’re in our wonderful new home in Park Street, in the heart of the South Bank.

If you have read my previous 32 posts, you will know I believe the culture of an office and its setting in the local environment do have a material impact on how a business performs.

I’ve worked in all parts of London, and each appeal in different ways.

I’ve spent my fair share of time working in the City, that thrusting hotbed of deals and excess. I’ve been there in boom times (floating businesses in the late 1990s) and not so good times (client meetings more recently). During the day, I love the professionalism, the confidence, the not-quite-masters-of-the-universe-any-more-but-still-pretty-good projection of possibility, the can-do mentality. I like that everyone dresses that little bit smarter, business suits rather than jeans. But I’m not so keen on the City after about 7pm when the whole place becomes a ghost town.

I loved working in the West End, though admittedly it’s been 15 years since I was based there and a lot has changed. These days I still love the hustle of the area, the busy-ness, the buzz. I have mentioned the culture and new office environment of Speed Communications before. They are now right on Leicester Square in the heart of the West End, and some nights they have to fight with paparazzi when they leave work on a film premiere night. Their business seems to be really thriving in their new location, and after an initial settling in period, the noise and energy of the team is really building again. I must admit though, I do find the West End a bit touristy, and even outside of some of the less well trodden paths, it can be, well, I guess a bit seedy.

I worked in the heart of Westminster for a couple of years. We had a beautiful traditional office in Smiths’ Square, just off Millbank. It felt more sophisticated, more high-brow, and notwithstanding the prevalence of politicians at every turn, more respectable. Again we had to dodge the press (Tory Central Office was across the road), but at least we weren’t invited to buy theatre tickets or get two-for-one drinks every time we popped out for a sandwich. However, being the wrong side of Parliament for the rest of town, meant that we were trapped whenever there was a state visit/opening of parliament/security alert/over zealous police checkpoint or pregnant pigeon on the road. And it was, well, a bit quiet.

So for the last couple of years I have been based in Pimlico. Well, actually on the embankment, with my office facing the road noise at the traffic lights at Vauxhall Bridge. On my first day as CEO in May of last year, I made two decisions. Firstly I decided to cancel the Christmas Party (more on this in another post). Secondly, I announced we would be moving out of Pimlico. I couldn’t at the time say when we’d be moving, but I was determined to get our really bright and energetic young team out of an area that felt as though it had retired already. It didn’t help that our offices were a rabbit warren of nooks and crannies, staircases and hallways, corners and cubbyholes. In fact they were a major barrier to creative collaboration, reinforcing silos rather than wider team working.

Pimlico is “nice”, it’s quiet, it’s one of the more residential areas of central London. But it lacks spark, where’s the excitement? We did create our own little pocket of irreverence while we were there, but I don’t think any of our people have been sad to have moved away.

Which brings me back to Park Street, and the South Bank. The office are great, modern, spacious, with acres of open plan space. So much space in fact that while we wait for the other half of The Team to move over from their old office in Southwark Street we have been using half of a floor as our table football arena (I’m currently languishing in mid table mediocrity, a bit like Liverpool). And, yes, we were discussing yesterday how we could turn a couple of tables over as goals and play 5-a-side in the currently unblemished open plan space.

The surrounding area is superb. In complete contrast with Pimlico, we have restaurants, coffee shops, the odd deli, great sandwich shops, even Paul Smith. Best of all is Borough Market, which is just a peach of tradition. No wonder we have film crews here all the time working on the next Bridget Jones or Love Actually. But what I really like is that you can come out of a restaurant at 11pm, and the place is still buzzing. And it’s the locals that are still out, making it a great sense of community.

I look at the smiles on our peoples’ faces around the offices here. It just feels great.