The cream of the crop – Nigel Rowlson celebrates 20 years of The Dairy
West Bridgford-based marketing agency The Dairy celebrates its 20th anniversary today (September 12).
The firm, which has seen plenty of ups and downs during its lifetime, is currently thriving on the back of a series of client wins. As he looks to the future, we sat down with owner and founder Nigel Rowlson to look back at two decades at the helm.
How has the marketing sector changed over the last 20 years?
“Crikey – it has changed hugely. It felt like 2002 was still the old traditional days – even though the world’s first website had been launched 10 years earlier!
“I started my career in an advertising agency in 1980 so very much came from the traditional school of marketing and advertising. The digital revolution started in the late 1990s but took a while to filter through to national and local business level – so actually starting our agency in 2002 was the perfect time.
“That revolution has continued to speed up! There have been some bumps along the way such as when the dot.com bubble burst and lots of fingers were burned…. But generally there has been an upward trajectory and it has been fascinating seeing the changes in the last 20 years. I have to say – our world is much more efficient and measurable these days – we can judge and gauge exactly what is happening through PPC campaigns in real time and of course change things for the better if we are not happy with results for our clients.
What are you most proud of during your time leading The Dairy?
“Two things really – certainly the team we have in place now. We have been through a few iterations over the years but for the past five or six years we have had a really settled and incredibly well rounded team in place who know what they are doing individually and have bought into the strategy and direction for the company that I have evolved.
“The second thing is our reputation. Having worked in the industry for 42 years in the Midlands and in London – I have seen some interesting things with agencies coming and going. We have always wanted to tread a more professional and careful line to ensure the future of the business and the livelihoods of our people. I have always said that we must treat our suppliers and friends just as well as we treat our clients and how we would like to be treated ourselves. If we do this with a smile on our face and a can-do attitude – The Dairy will certainly be around for another 20 years.
Is there anything you wish you’d have done differently?
“Not really. I am not one for regrets and looking back and ruminating over what could have been. I suppose if pushed, I would say that I could have been a little sharper in some of our business dealings at the time of the credit crunch. We were too trusting of a couple of clients who went bust owing us thousands of pounds which we never saw. The annoying thing is that the people who seem to do this come up smelling of roses again and start another business…. It was a lesson learnt for me though.”
Where do you see the marketing sector heading over the next five years?
I wish I could tell you! I suspect we will see more digital innovations happening in the coming years and that will be good for agencies and their clients to ensure efficiency.
“What I worry about though is that as marketing people become more scientific in their approach – they lose the other fundamental element of our world – creativity. I have always said that as an agency we have two pillars – marketing thinking – the side I work on, where we have Chartered Institute of Marketing qualified people working with our clients to understand their business needs and providing a strategic approach to their marketing….and creativity, where we bring those strategies and tactics to life with interesting, relevant and engaging stories that the target audience wants to buy into. I worry that science will overtake creativity in the future with the consequence of dull communications work being churned out.”
Is there anyone you’d like to mention who has helped you over the last 20 years?
“I am very grateful to a bunch of people who have influenced me and my career path. My first boss was Peter Berry – the MD of Tibbenham Advertising in Nottingham in 1980. He was a proper old school ad man who had moved up from London – scary but commanded respect at the same time. I moved to what was undoubtedly the biggest and best ad agency in the East Midlands in the early 80’s – Garratt Baulcombe Associates where I really learned my craft in ad production – running around at 100mph working all ours to prepare weekly national press ads that had to be despatched to Fleet Street on a Thursday morning to get on the presses overnight.
“When I moved to work for a London agency in 1985, I was surrounded by the brightest and the best brains I had ever come across. From marketing planners to copywriters, art directors, media buyers and account handlers – they were all brilliant and my learning accelerated at a huge pace.
“Coming back ‘home’ I worked for Andy Sellers and Lyn Rogers at Sellers and Rogers – again two people who had grown up in the golden era and were determined to do the right thing for clients. After a few years at an agency in Leicester where I started to learn more about the business side of things – I was ready to put all that knowledge and experience into my new baby – The Dairy.”
What plans do you have for the future of The Dairy?
“I recognise that our world is changing quickly so have ensured that the team we have are empowered to handle the day to day running of the business as well as having an eye on the future. I have stepped back slightly from the nitty gritty giving the team the space they need to learn and grow. It also means that my wife and I now have a little more free time for ourselves and for holidays!”
“The super efficient and all round good guy – Tom Walters became a director a couple of years ago and more recently our creative director Chris Skeggs joined the board and is having an impact already. So the two guys will take the business on in the next few years as I fade into the background and I am sure they will be even more successful in the next 20 years than I have been in the last 20. They have heard me talk about my mistakes so hopefully won’t make them again!”
“I would like to thank Sam and all at TheBusinessDesk.com who have always supported us at The Dairy. Huge thanks go to the team of course plus all those clients who have worked with us over the years and just as importantly – the suppliers and friends who have become part of the family.”
