Two of the most respected international leaders in the event marketing industry have come together to form a new live communications agency called Deeper Blue.
Jeremy Garbett and Laurence Croneen have led and pioneered the largest experiential agencies in London, the Middle East and North America. Over the past twenty-five years, they have produced and overseen some of the most prestigious public global events and been responsible for many of the most innovative, integrated, and award-winning communication programmes for the world’s leading corporate brands including Toyota, Mars, Nokia, HP, General Motors, Pfizer, Samsung and the UK Government.
Having both recently returned to the UK from Managing Director positions in Dubai and New York, the founders of Deeper Blue have deliberately taken time out over the last few months to re-think the structure, philosophy and working practices of a new agency.
“We believe there should be a more focused, valuable and sustained approach to how you connect and engage with communities. That’s why we decided to create an independent, new agency," said co-founder, Jeremy Garbett. “The role of live communications has never been more vital. But, it’s no longer business as usual. The world has changed, and the way you should engage people inside and outside your organization has also changed.” Garbett continued: “Audience attitudes and behaviours warrant far better examination from our industry. It’s a critical area, and we want to lead with far better understanding and in turn, more cohesive and integrated creative solutions.”
In search of insight to help shape their agency, Garbett and Croneen devoted significant time interviewing clients from different markets and geographies regarding their respective wants and needs of a communications agency.
“Our starting point was listening to the people who matter most - our clients,” commented Laurence Croneen. “They talked about engaging not only with the needs of “now” but also the crucial next steps in post-recession growth. This means stimulating a dialogue based on a more engaging journey - taking key communities and brands in a clearer, better planned and more integrated direction. Inevitably, all businesses are looking to do more for less – but there’s an interesting subtlety that I believe we’ve captured in what ‘value’ really means to clients.”
Deeper Blue is establishing itself around the principle of ‘sustained engagement’; the means of creating longer-term value and more tangible impact from your live communications activities. The co-founders explain further:
“For too long, live experiences have been mostly a flash in the pan: brilliant moments but of limited duration and impact. Our experience means we’ve been amongst the best practitioners of this art so we understand the immediate power of a live event. What sets us apart, perhaps from the rest of the industry, is our commitment to design a more sustained communications journey by cleverly connecting virtual, viral and real experiences. The key is knowing how to integrate, activate and measure them in the widest context, embracing all communication channels to create a richer, deeper and longer lasting engagement with your key communities.”
