Octopi Design
We asked recently formed creative agency Octopi Design, a new member of the Gloucestershire Media Group and tenants of the GMG Accelerator, to give us some insider information about what prompted them to start up a design agency in the Gloucestershire and Worcestershire area.
We spoke with one of the founders, Dave Boon, who gave us the history, low down and an idea of future plans for one of the most promising up-and-coming agencies in the region.
Hi Dave, please explain what Octopi do?
Octopi are an agency that merges high degrees of creativity with technical expertise and flair, delivering corporate identity services and the visual elements of brand, allied with website design and development.
So why have you decided to form Octopi Design?
Both myself and the other founder of Octopi, Adam Hesketh, previously worked for a design and branding agency in Gloucester. However, they decided to focus on the brand consultancy and training elements of their business and so the staff in the design and web departments were made redundant. Both Adam and I felt that our skills complemented each others well and that we had the ability and the passion to set up on our own and deliver excellent levels of creativity and service, at very reasonable rates.
What are your main principles?
Octopi aims to exceed our client’s expectations first time and every time. We want to build long-term relationships that are based more as a partnership than a traditional client / agency relationship, as we feel this is a more productive way for us to be able to help our clients develop their businesses.
So, you’ve started a new company in a global economic recession.
Are you mad?
Well, possibly. However, because we’re a smaller agency, we believe that we can have success in winning clients because we can offer both a professional and personal service, coupled with reduced costs – all of which are highly sought after in these difficult times.
So you’ve got the business up and running – have things been as successful as you’d initially hoped?
Absolutely! If anything, things have been more positive than we could have hoped for. It helped that our previous company were gracious enough to allow us to talk to an existing client of theirs (The Wayside Group) about bringing them on-board, and they were more than happy to partner with us. Both myself and Adam have a long-term working relationship with Wayside, and we were really pleased to be able to continue that. Wayside have kindly provided us with the following reference:
The Wayside Group has worked with the partners of Octopi Design for 2 years. When their previous agency stopped providing the required services, we had no hesitation in moving our business to Octopi.
Octopi are fully instrumental in all elements of the strategy, design and implementation of the Wayside Group website. I can honestly say that they have never missed a deadline – and often ‘over’ deliver – coming up with several solutions to problems and responding quickly and flexibly to urgent tactical requirements.
We have an excellent relationship with Dave and Adam and regard them as an extension to our marketing department – and we work together very much as a team rather than agency and client. _
I have no hesitation in recommending Octopi.
Davina West
Group Marketing & Communications Manager
Wayside Group
We’ve also won a number of new pitches, competing against larger, more established agencies, which is obviously very encouraging.
What does the future hold for Octopi?
If our start is anything to go by, then the future is looking very positive indeed. We have aspirations at moving into a dedicated office suite and employing permanent staff, and longer term that Octopi can become an agency that’s known both locally and nationally for combining above expected levels of personal service, coupled with outstanding ability and creativity.
