New Year, New Me(diatree)

The New Year has got off to a flyer at Mediatree with work galore to kick start 2018. Business as usual then…?

Not quite.  January brought with it a moment to reflect on what is important for us as individuals as well as how we want to work better in the company. We strive to avoid leaning too heavily on the R-word (‘RESOLUTION’), associated with so many short-lived attempts at changing the habits of a lifetime.  Instead, this month we look at how we intend to change for the better over the coming year.  The key to this change is to focus on one key attribute, driven by our beliefs in what really matters:  sustainability.

To operate and succeed optimally in an ever-changing, fast-moving, uncertain environment coherently and consistently over time, bouncing back from challenges and fluctuations as well as seizing opportunities, we need to promote sustainability, which builds our resilience. It is a vast concept, so we have broken it down to find the balance between ambitious and realistic aspirations.  We are actioning change through three channels.

Change internally?

Mediatree isn’t yet at the point where it can apply for B Corp status, but this year maybe at least our internal focus on the promotion of sustainable workplace practices can get us one step closer to meeting some of the norms. With a growing team and an evolving structure, the creation of a safe, healthy and functional workplace that can be maintained over a long period of time has taken on a new meaning.  Everyone’s overall well-being and productivity is more important than ever. By the end of 2017 it became clear our humble abode on the second floor of 221/222 Shoreditch High Street simply wasn’t going to cut it any more. After a lengthy search, the answer was quite literally under our noses.

You will now find us at the identical address but will only have to climb one flight of stairs. Spacious would be an understatement and this has provided us with the canvas for far greater flexibility moving forwards. Many studies, articles and empirical research correlate performance and ‘presenteeism’ with a positive work environment, so implementing that in our new space is a first and welcome focus to building resilience in the team.

Changing for our clients?

Another key element to ensuring sustainability is adapting to the evolving needs of our clients, making sure we offer a holistic range of financial communication services that use new technologies and integrate innovation.  Be it the need to deliver a polished equity story in an increasingly selective investment environment, or when the European regulatory landscape shifts the Corporate Access goalposts because of Mifid II;  aside from our core service of IPO and non-deal roadshow coordination as well as Investor Communications events (Capital Markets Days, AGMs…),  we offer a broad range of communication services, from speaker preparation and coaching, slide design, digital media solutions, virtual and augmented reality solutions, roadshow planning and targeting through to setting up a new IR platform.

Getting ahead of a constantly shifting environment is crucial to the sustainability of our long-term client relationships. With that in mind a brand-new role has been created at Mediatree – our very own Business Development Manager, responsible for promoting innovative and relevant solutions for the Investor Relations community.

Impacting the world around us?

Of course, Mediatree also looks to achieve broader environmental sustainability. With any company, the key is to establish the issues which have the biggest material impact on the environment in the day to day running and in the services that we offer. For Mediatree, this is undoubtedly our carbon footprint. Unfortunately, long haul air travel is an inevitability in our line of work and our carbon footprint as well as that of our clients is substantial. Our partnership with Cool Earth is an important way that we mitigate this material detriment to our planet.

Cool Earth recently celebrated its 10th anniversary and we are committed to continue supporting the impact of this incredible organisation through 2018. Their philosophy is that the only way to halt destruction is to align the future of the rainforest with the people best placed to protect it.   What better way to do this than placing the forest in the hands of the people who rely on its survival for their survival? We are also always on the lookout for manageable and deliverable local initiatives to get involved with to help maintain the momentum of our sustainability journey.

Printing is another major environmental impact that we have as a company and our “Mediatrees” initiative is gathering momentum. The Evening Standard has launched a campaign called The Last Straw with the aim of banishing plastic straws from London’s bars and restaurants which has caught the eye of Mediatree’s Thinktankers – we are looking at ways of becoming less reliant on plastic and this has been a real inspiration for that drive.

So, there you have it in a nutshell – what we want to improve on in 2018. Deliberate change via small steps inspired by awareness of what our consumerism implies. We have started making different choices and adopting different behaviours. Sustainable behaviours.  We are going that extra mile in the everyday decisions to ensure sustainability that matters to us, our clients and our planet.