SMALL AOY | GOLD
This story was originally published in the 2023 fall issue of strategy magazine.
Historically, small businesses have always faced the most risk during recessions and other economic turmoil. But the kind of work Halifax-based creative agency Wunder wants to do – and who it wants to do it with – means it is less susceptible to the travails some may be struggling with right now, like clients tightening budgets.
“We’ve never really looked for or attracted clients who look purely at ROI,” says Mike Postma, director of strategy and co-founder. “Our clients have that longer-term view, are willing to put a marketing plan in place for three-plus years and grind away at elevating their brands. I think that comes with different expectations than people who are looking to immediately see a return.”
Wunder’s leadership believes the agency is able to weather the current economic landscape – and maybe even find growth. “A lot of agencies grow to a point where so much of their energy is spent chasing pitches and stressing over revenue targets, and making sure all of those boxes are ticked,” says Stephen Flynn, creative director and co-founder. “When you’re bigger and things aren’t going great in the economy, you have to be thinking more about targets and taking care of your staff. That’s not the kind of thing we want to rush into, but we want to be in place where we can build a team that embodies the same culture we have now.”
Similar to many of its agency peers, Wunder spent the last year exploring artificial intelligence. “We’re not specifically looking to make investments into building out AI tools. What we are doing is investing in our bread and butter: ideas and strategies,” Flynn says, likening AI to idea generation tools like Deck of Brilliance or Kickstart Creativity flashcards that many creative professionals use to iterate on an idea or come at it from a different perspective.
“Agencies that are consistently doing great work are not just a bunch of people tapping pencils on a desk and throwing crumpled papers in the waste bin until they get an idea. There are systems in place and, just like any of those agencies, we should be constantly trying to retool and make sure our ideas and strategies are top tier. And, yes, we do believe that AI is super helpful when it comes to that,” adds Flynn.
Wunder is ready for growth and has begun planning an approach for more business development. Flynn admits that the agency hasn’t put much energy into seeking clients it would like to work with – for much of its existence, Wunder has let its work and word-of-mouth draw in clients. But now it is ready to be more purposeful about seeking work it wants to do. “We want our relationships to genuinely be about what we’re best at,” Flynn says. “We don’t want to win business just so we can say, ‘Hey, we got this big client and we’re going to grow,’ but then that growth is just 19 people working on brochures.”
Wunder has begun to do a fair share of work for start-ups both in Canada and the U.S., such as finance app Relief, project management platform Asana and stock photo site Pexels. And that work is getting recognized. In addition to Canadian award shows, the shop has notched wins at international shows like Communication Arts and The One Show.
A planned growth in its client roster also means getting ready for a growth in headcount. Wunder is still small, by choice, but Postma says the agency is at a point where it can spend the next few years focusing on expansion – the three-person team (including Postma, Flynn and traffic manager Cobie McFallon) grew to four when it hired Naqsh Sagar as a full-time designer in September.
“I think we’ve taken the last six years to really figure out who we are and what we want to do,” he says. “We’ve made several pivots, but we’ve been very aligned for the last two years, and we know exactly what we want to do. We feel confident now that we know who we want to hire and the type of people that we’re looking for.”
New Business
NSCDA (Nova Scotia Career Development Association)
Offices
Halifax
Staff
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CASES
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Working with Domus Realty, the “200 Square Feet” campaign tackled the Halifax housing market slowdown through data-driven billboards. Instead of agent images, these billboards showcased the value of rooms based on MLS data, allowing homeowners to see the potential worth of their properties. A physical display that replicated a 200-square foot room made it especially tangible for viewers.
2. United Way Halifax’s “The Doorbell” campaign used front door footage to highlight homelessness during the holidays. Showcasing scenes from a home’s perspective, the ad contrasted how those with disposable income and food security experience the holidays versus those facing homelessness.
3. Wunder and Brigadoon Village, a Nova Scotia summer camp for kids with health conditions, partnered with pharmacies for its “Pill Bottles” campaign. The special “prescriptions” were inserted into the bags of eligible children (aged 7-18 with specific health conditions), offering info about the camp and expanding its reach to potential visitors.
