In 2021 Panthera realised it needed a new and more consistent approach to marketing. Having grown steadily for 17 years delivering financial and management accounting to businesses across Oxfordshire, it reached a tipping point in the wake of the pandemic. With new services and the ambition to grow further, Panthera needed its marketing to become a strategic and vital function.
Founder and Managing Director Tory Wagg brought in Your Marketing Department. Together, they’ve formed a proactive strategy and transformed the branding to stand out from the somewhat vanilla image and traditional messaging of many accounting firms.
The power of proactivity
During the pandemic, Panthera realised it could provide a lot of help and advice to clients and other small businesses around government financial messaging. Tory remembers how tough it was to market that advice:
“We had a lot to say, so we started arranging webinars – but then we had to let everyone know (about them). I had to do all that, alongside running the business. Marketing was stealing time from me – and I wasn’t even doing it very well.”
As Panthera was planning to launch a range of value-added services, it was the perfect time to look at its marketing. Having originally assumed that she would need only short-term strategic planning support, the relationship with Sophie and the team evolved rapidly towards ongoing marketing help. Tory no longer needs to find time for marketing in amongst everything else:
“Blog and social content are written just as I need them, which is a real weight off my shoulders. It’s a relief to know our content fits an agreed strategy and is focused on specific outcomes.”
Making the difference shine through
Panthera is no traditional accountancy firm. As well as a keen focus on management accounting, its all-female team has a holistic view of businesses, the people that run them and the lives they lead. But these differentiators weren’t coming across in their scattergun marketing.
Sophie flagged that Panthera’s branding didn’t represent them properly, or help them stand out. Tory wasn’t planning on refreshing the brand; but the more they talked about it, the clearer the need became. An introduction to our design partner followed. We directed the process and rolled out a brand that picks up on Panthera’s affinity for sustainability and echoes the idea of growth. Tory loves its uniqueness:
“It’s different to other accountant brands. Sophie helped me take a bigger leap than I could alone. This brand can impact the actions we take every day. I assumed marketing was a glossy layer on top, but this feels like it is in the bones of my business.”
The measure of success
Embracing support to drive marketing strategy and manage day-to-day tasks has been a revelation for Panthera. Tory really values the perspective of an external consultant:
“People often complain about spending money with marketers, and never quite knowing if it’s made a difference. One thing I love about working with Sophie and the team is that they are obsessed with metrics. As well as collecting digital data such as web, social and email analytics, Your Marketing Department asks about impact on the business. We have open conversations about what is working or not working, and tweak things.
I’ve wasted so much time, energy and effort on marketing in the past. I’ve learned about how impactful a proper marketing strategy can be. I’ve learned how joyful it is to feel proud of your brand. Your Marketing Department brought the strategic, creative and practical support we needed.”
As a growing firm with a thriving customer base, there are even more exciting times ahead for this business. And more ways to be anything but vanilla.
