Logging On with… John Wilford
IN our series of Logging On With… we talk to John Wilford, managing director and co-founder of Rave Communications
Organisation: Rave Communications
Employees: 25
Job Title: Managing Director
Career highlights:
Setting up Rave in 2000 was a major highlight. Followed by some great client wins, a host of awards for our creativity, and hiring and retaining some top notch people.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career to date?
My brother is a huge influence on me. We have always been quite competitive, in a friendly way, and I think this spurs me on to keep achieving.
What are your key responsibilities?
Rave is my biggest responsibility after my family. I am also a director of Mohdoh (aromatherapy products) and Net Syndicate (web development agency). My responsibility to all three businesses is to help them to grow.
What do you enjoy most and least about your role?
The thing I enjoy most is getting a phone call from a client saying a campaign is great and the results were excellent. The aspect I like least is getting a call from a prospect to say we didn’t get the pitch (can you believe we don’t win every job?)
As a business leader, what’s the key to managing people?
Managing people isn’t a science, it’s an art. Something that works for one member of staff may not work for another. You have to be flexible in style, particularly in our industry where people can be creative, analytical or expressive.
What are the biggest barriers to your organisation’s success?
Taxes don’t help. On a day to day basis there are a lot of challenges but you have to treat them as opportunities and use them to steer strategy in different directions. If you are pessimistic about challenges then you soon become a victim.
What would make the West Midlands an even better place to live and work?
Birmingham still has an issue with its own brand. People from outside still consider it to be a grim, metal bashing place but the reality is very different. There’s also a kudos in our industry about being a London agency. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a prestige associated with being a Birmingham agency? But to do this, local government and regional development bodies need to identify its future growth industries and start to market them.
How has technology changed your life in the last five years?
It has invaded every part of my life. It can be intrusive and yet it’s hard to resist the little red light flashing on my BlackBerry. I think I have a simultaneous love and hate for technology. I have to admit, the world would be a poorer place without Xbox, Sky and HDTV.
How has it changed/impacted on your business in the same period?
Rave has fully embraced digital media. We now handle major campaigns and social networking campaigns for clients. We also have an integrated digital marketing agency that works in our Birmingham office called Net Syndicate. I think some agencies struggle with recommending a 15 word pay-per-click ad instead of a pretty piece of creative work if it is the right solution.
If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what alternative career would you chose and why?
I am the kind of person that wants to do everything. I listen to Radio 4 every morning on the drive into work, and nearly everyone who is interviewed I think ”I could do that job”. I guess it is an inbuilt restlessness. But I would really like to be a maths teacher, I am a school governor at a large secondary school and I love it. I loved maths at school too. So it seems a natural thing to do.
Which sectors do you think will thrive/struggle in the coming years?
The public sector will struggle the most as whichever government gets in will have to massively slash public spending. Pharmaceuticals, in the long run, will do well because we have an ageing population. I would love to see a renaissance in British manufacturing. In this country we talk ourselves out of manufacturing. But we can still make great products in this country – look at how Jaguar has responded to its market by delivering cars of superb quality.
What do you feel are the key skills/qualities needed to run a successful business in the 21st century?
Flexibility, the ability to rapidly change and the ability to combine conviction with pragmatism. People want to see clear direction whilst simultaneously being highly responsive.
Which public figure do you admire most and why?
Gary Lineker. He scored loads of goals for Leicester and England and never cheated.
In five words, describe your character:
This was a tricky one to answer so I asked my colleagues: driven, wily, shrewd, mischievous, dancing machine. The last answer is definitely tongue-in-cheek.
Which actor/actress would you chose to play you in a film?
Again, my colleagues answered with Sid James. Charming!!
Where’s your favourite holiday destination and why?
Favourite family holiday destination is Cyprus for its climate, great food, great people and the rubbish Vodafone signal. Best couples destination is the Chedi Hotel in Muscat, for its zen-like calmness.
See other profiles in our ‘Logging on with…’ series
