It’s no secret that exceptional work stems from the power of collaboration. So in addition to featuring notable young professionals and entrepreneurs every single day, we’ll be chatting to some of Canada’s best teams every Thursday to get an inside look at how they combine talents to stand out in their industry. Today we’re talking to the team behind creative agency Colour…
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WORK
1. Describe what you and your team focus on in less than 140 characters. Go.
We’re a creative social agency focused on connecting brands and people.
2. What kick ass projects/programs have you been working on recently?
We recently turned our boardroom into a stop-motion studio to animate macaroons, chocolate, and coconut to create handmade lettering. If you’re in BC or NS, keep an eye out for our upcoming online ice cream videos.
3. What are some of the benefits of working on a team?
Growing and discovering by sharing our knowledge and skills with each other is big around here. Each person on our team brings a unique perspective and skillset, so when working together it’s always a strong creative exchange that gets us to the best work. And we’re a small team in an open space, so if you’ve got something to say, it’s going to be heard.
Plus, on a team, when you’re working towards a common goal and crush it, no one’s gonna leave your high-five hangin’.
4. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced? (tell a funny story here).
Well, we can think of a few but you’d have to sign an NDA first.
5. Do you have any advice for other young professionals working within a team?
Listen closely, be solution-oriented, and have fun.
6. Does your team have a designated leader?
Absolutely. Flat organizations are a nice concept, but we need to get things done. Our Account Director, Pam, doesn’t like to admit it, but she’s the keystone to pretty much everything that comes through the agency. The girl is good.
7. Within your organization are teams switched up every once in a while or do they maintain the same? What are some of the benefits and cons of that?
As a boutique agency, each person at Colour will touch a project in some capacity. The benefit of working with a tight team is that it builds trust and we all know each other’s individual strengths and weaknesses. We also have team members located in our Halifax office, so it pushes us to stay connected and collaborative despite the distance.
A con is that there are times when timelines overlap and team members can get stretched a little thin, but we’re pretty good at picking up the slack for each other and doing what we need to do to get the best work out.
8. What does the word collaboration mean to you?
To us, collaboration is when individuals come together to achieve greatness – greater things than they could have achieved on their own.
9. What has been you and your teams favourite project/campaign/initiative to work on and why?
We have an insurance client that takes what they do a step further. They create wellness programs that teach people how to improve their overall health – physically, mentally, and financially. They’re also committed to improving community. They’ve got a purpose beyond profit, which makes it easy for us to position them as a company that cares, ’cause they do. And it’s not just lip service. They make it a priority.
They’ve already been doing great work, but haven’t told their story. Which is where we come in. So the long answer is: our team is really excited about what we’ve done with these guys, and more so, what’s up next.
PLAY
1. Where is your teams favourite place to wine/dine in your city and why?
Honestly: Uber Eats. There isn’t a day that goes by where one or a handful of us don’t order from them. We can have a pad thai from Khao San Road AND chicken and waffles from The Dirty Bird in less than 10 minutes. It’s especially convenient on days when there are back-to-back meetings, or when it hails in spring.
When we do venture out of the office, Impact on King East is a clear favourite for its healthy, delicious menu. Their Maverick Power Bowl is at the top of our list. Some of our teammates follow vegan and paleo diets so it’s an easy choice.
2. Do you and your team go out together? Where and why?
Yes! Not too long ago we went to Medieval Times for a dinner and tournament, mainly so we could call each other wenches and drink cocktails from chalices. Next up: axe throwing.
3. What’s the best thing that has happened to you and your team recently?
Our company took a health survey and it turns out that, collectively, we’re not drinking enough water, eating enough fruit and veggies, and should lower our stress levels. To help us along, we’ve started a weekly pilates class at the office and signed up for a fruit and veggie delivery service. I mean, don’t get us wrong, it’s all about balance. We’re also looking into getting a kegerator.
4. Are there any other teams within your company or any company that you know of that are killing it?
There are so many and we like to draw inspiration from everywhere. Keeping the story close to home, our teams in Halifax are big drivers for traditional advertising and PR in Atlantic Canada.
5. And finally, what does success look like to you and your team? Work, play, or otherwise…
‘Happy clients’ is the right answer. And it’s true. But we’d also like to make room for ourselves to expand beyond client work to create more of our own content and start up an innovation lab.
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