Powys-based brand, marketing and digital communications consultancy, Motif Creative, has driven its international presence by growing its footprint in the high growth medical technology sector. The company has already won strategic contracts in the US and Europe after investment in Cloud infrastructure, supported by superfast broadband, has helped it to break down geographical barriers and allowed the company to fend off competition from local agencies.
“It is apparent that technology is becoming more of a factor in driving revenues and sustaining growth, and businesses that are not investing will inevitably be left behind. We already generate 40% of our revenue from international customers, which has also contributed to our forecast of 25% growth in total revenues by 2019” said Stuart Spooner, Motif’s Director.
Communication is key
The ability to communicate and share large digital files and information remotely, as well as employing the latest video conferencing technology, has enabled the firm to not only deliver projects effectively but also reduce the amount of international travel by key executives. Using its high-speed internet connection, Motif Creative now uses Cisco’s online conferencing software, WebEx, to host around four to five ‘virtual’ meetings a week with international clients.
“Our projects in the medical technology sector often involve large organisations with multiple sites across the globe, which makes video conferencing an essential ingredient of project delivery,” added Mr Spooner. “Although I am still making around 10-12 business trips to Europe a year, the ability to host two-hour virtual meetings while ‘screen sharing’ with multiple customers to discuss specific projects at different stages of the development process has now become the norm.”
Working together more effectively
The 12-strong firm provides a range of services, including design for digital and print, animation and 3D visualisation, brand positioning and marketing consultancy. The nature of the business and its rapidly expanding client base had created a need to process increasingly substantial amounts of data on a day-to-day basis, synchronising files across its two offices and sharing live project information with customers across the world.
After attending a workshop delivered by Superfast Business Wales, the firm accessed one-to-one consultancy support that enabled it to put in place the network infrastructure it required to fully integrate its two teams. Its investment also enhanced the firm’s ability to provide staff with remote access to its servers, and meet the growing demand for delivering video and animated digital content as part of client projects.
Tailored support
“The consultancy support provided by Superfast Business Wales ensured that we ended up with a technology and network infrastructure solution that was tailored to our business and helped us to achieve our business goals,” said Mr Spooner. “Having effective IT systems is crucial for our industry and access to a consultant who understood our business, as well as the intricacies of superfast broadband-enabled and file sharing technologies, was invaluable.
“The ability to provide creative solutions for our clients, backed up by a high level of customer service, will always be the main ingredients for success in our sector, but embracing modern technology is becoming more and more important, especially when competing in an increasingly global marketplace.”