Nick Cantor of The Walk Agency.
Tell us about yourself?
An undercover Australian actually brought up in San Francisco. Our resident digital expert, and co-founder, Nick has worked around the world on a range of brands across multiple industries.
Bringing over 20 years of international and local experience to The Walk, he is driven by the idea within the context of strategy and technology.
Nick was selected to attend the prestigious AWARD School in 2011, an experience that cemented his approach to working in the ever changing creative world.
Not your typical Digital Director, Nick’s focus is always wider than just digital. Working with the strategic view that message retention can skyrocket to over 70% with integrated creative and media, he always keeps an eye on the bigger picture.
Nick’s true north is a combination of creativity crossed with all that technology can bring and a killer strategy that takes in the landscape of where it all lives and breathes.
Never taking himself too seriously, Nick loves to have a laugh with the team and keeps everyone happy and having fun, whilst at work. He also enjoys working with clients to deliver the best outcomes, making him the perfect companion for your next digital project.
What do you think is the single biggest misconception people have when it comes to startups?
That you can’t grow a brand while driving leads. Brand and marketing strategies are two sides of the same coin: short-term campaigns are balanced with building long-term brand equity.
If you could go back in time to any moment from your journey, and give yourself one tip, what would it be?
If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. The world of marketing is a rapidly changing space and it can be easy to move toward the next shiny object but you need approach marketing as an investment. Take it seriously, lean on experts.
Develop a budget, goals and make a plan. Track your progress against these goals and furiously learn.
Is something not working? Great, failures can be rich territory but only if you pay attention to the lesson. Learn, adapt, improve.
What makes you stand out as an entrepreneur?
I bring endless energy but also very focussed efforts. I am an efficiency geek at heart so I’m always assessing where I should be putting my energy (and where not to).
What are some of the best working habits you’ve gained over the past couple of years?
Understand how your energy flows and plan your day so that your energy and your activities are a good match. Having an afternoon lull?
Great, switch to low involvement activities for moment, like taking a pass at your inbox. After a 15 minute lull, refocus your efforts. This kind of optimisation will turn you into a productivity machine.
Give us a bit of an insight into the influences behind the company?
As an integrated marketing agency, we’re all about ROI, or as we like to say Return on Imagination. We use data-informed creative across select channels to deliver the greatest results for the least spend.
Inspired by the legacy of Direct Marketing together with the awareness that it takes great creative to stand out amongst all the noise, we really obsess over performance and results.
Where do you see your business in five years?
Operating in multiple locations, working with a solid mixture of clients around the world, helping them to grow their brands and bring positive impact to the world.
What do you think the biggest challenge will be for you in getting there?
Talent. Working conditions seem to be evolving constantly, so we’ll aim to roll with market expectations and create the conditions needed for a team to thrive.
Talk to us about your biggest success story so far?
We’ve just closed 7 years of running the agency. With 2 1/2 of those years being in a pandemic, I’d say that being in the position we are now is probably one of our greatest successes.
We have a satisfied team, happy clients and are poised to grow as we come out of this phase. It’s thrilling.
How do clients and customers find you? Are you much of a salesperson for yourself?
What we’re working on today has traditionally been our greatest sales tool for tomorrow. Referrals continue to be the greatest source of new business.
What one tip would you give to fellow startup founders?
Know your strengths and know your weaknesses. Give freely and ask for help from the right people at the right time. You can’t do it all and you shouldn’t try.
And finally, what do you hope the future brings both you personally, and your business?
We’ve just started a pilot for the 4 Day Week and are working on creating a sustainable model that brings the best quality work from a satisfied team who are achieving both their personal and professional goals.
We’ve also been focusing on who we work with and this is proving to be a really positive direction for the agency, so I hope to use continue specialising in supporting brands who are actively working on positive impact in the world.
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