M.A.D Communications celebrate 10 years – here are the secrets behind their success

To celebrate their milestone, we caught up with founders Amy and Marie to discover the highs and lows of their first decade, any advice to other business owners and the importance of PR.

As you know here at High Life North, we’re all about celebrating the success of local businesses, especially women-led independents… which brings us to M.A.D Communications.

As we’re sadly seeing many small businesses close due to the cost-of-living crisis, M.A.D Communications are counting their blessings and are thriving more than before as they celebrate their 10th anniversary.

If you haven’t heard about them already, M.A.D Communications is a creative marketing, PR, and copywriting agency, based in the North East that works with businesses of all shapes and sizes across the UK and around the globe.

Whether it be creative promotional ideas, bespoke blog writing, design, social media or digital marketing, this passionate, knowledgeable and talented team of women provides highly engaging content and campaigns that reflect who their clients are and get businesses seen more than their competitors.

To celebrate their first decade, we caught up with founders Amy and Marie to find out how their journey has been so far…

How does it feel to look back on how far you have come over the past 10 years?

Marie: Amazing. I think sometimes we don’t realise how far we have come and what we have achieved until other people point it out to us. It’s been an incredible journey and such a huge learning curve – we still can’t get our heads around the fact it’s been 10 years, especially when so many businesses don’t make it to this point.  It really does feel like yesterday that we were sat in our lecture, only dreaming about M.A.D and all the things we wanted to achieve. It was definitely worth it to take that giant leap of faith.

What are some highlights of your first decade?

Amy: So much has happened during our M.A.D journey. From winning business awards and moving into our first office space to securing prestigious contracts and expanding our reach to global clients, we have continued to go from strength to strength.

One of the main highlights that we are particularly proud of is building our client base, which has mostly evolved based on word of mouth and due to the high standard of work we deliver. Many of our clients have been with us from the very start and have stayed with us, which is a testament to the service we provide. Ironically, we have had to do very little PR ourselves, which is something we’re proud of.  Expanding the team and taking on new team members has been another huge highlight.

Looking back is there anything you would have done differently?

Marie: Honestly, nothing. Even when times were tough in the early days when we were finding our feet as a business, it shaped who we are and has allowed us to grow the business at a pace that we have felt comfortable with. I think it is during these times when you learn the most too. Amy and I don’t come from a business background, so we had to learn over the years how to manoeuvre the business world, which can be daunting at times – and we’re constantly still learning.

Luckily, we’ve been able to establish a strong client base in the North East and beyond, and even survived during the pandemic, where we quickly had to adapt our business model as we left the office to work at home for the first time. Today, we are stronger than ever and are now a team of four.

What challenges have you faced over the years?

Amy: In the early days, we had so many ups and downs, but we faced every challenge head-on and learnt from our mistakes.  After all, the business world is swings and roundabouts, and that’s something you have to get used to quickly – for all the highs you have, there will also be lows too. For us, the highs have certainly outweighed the lows.

For example, cash flow was often an issue in the early days, and we left our full-time jobs to put our life and soul into setting up M.A.D. From the offset, we had a clear vision of whom we wanted to be so worked every hour to make sure we could earn a reasonable income from the business so that we could focus solely on growing. Our determination paid off.

What would say have been the secrets behind your success?

Marie: We love what we do and I think this constantly shines through. We also love the industry we work in and the opportunities it brings.  The fact we get on so well and work together so well also really helps – people joke that we’re like an old married couple.

What advice would you give to anyone who is dreaming of setting up their own business?

Amy: Marie always says that no matter what challenges you face in life “there’s always an option and a solution.” Whenever we face a challenge or barrier, we remember this. Passion is also important! If you love what you do and are determined to make your dreams a reality, anything is possible. But you do need to take the ups with the downs and, even when you have a setback (which you will!), it’s important to keep going, keep pushing, and embrace every door that opens. And remember, talking to other business owners and networking is a great way to learn from the people actually running their own businesses.

Why is it important for businesses to focus on their PR and communications?

Marie: PR not only allows you to build relationships with key audiences, optimise awareness, boost sales and inspire action, but it is also a great way to ensure that your business is always positioned at the forefront of your customer’s minds. Maximising all exposure opportunities, PR and communication strategies are also essential components for building a credible brand that is valued and trusted.

For more information about how M.A.D Communications can help support your business, visit their website, follow their Instagram and like their Facebook page.

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