They said we wouldn’t last six months.
Tim, Ian and me. We were three.
Three people with complete and utter trust in each other, in our individual capabilities, and our absolute commitment to do it one way.
Our way.
They called us the “first Communist advertising agency.”
Why?
Because we wanted to do it differently. Not for us the hierarchy of ‘us and them’. Needing an appointment via a PA to see someone sitting in a glass office. Someone ‘important enough’ to make a decision or at least call another meeting about it.
We wanted a flat structure. One where people sat together in an open flow space. Where ideas could come from anywhere. Whatever your job title. Where we could make things happen for our clients brilliantly and fast, without complex management layers.
We dreamt of a space where people would love coming to work more often than not (we have never been so unrealistic as to imagine every day is a good one).
And we wanted RBH to be “our agency” where everyone felt valued and able to contribute and to enjoy the rewards as opposed to founders/shareholders building it up to sell, or simply stripping every last penny out of it, year after year.
We started as a band of nine back in 1995. In two small barns in Meriden. Nine people excited and terrified to see what we could do. As the founders, we earned very little, and we did our own cleaning before quoting and invoicing late into the night. All nine of us would go to the local pub each Friday lunchtime to chat about what we were doing, what we could be doing better and putting the world to rights along the way.
Some amazing clients took a risk on us straight off, and, quietly, we got on with winning a significant number more. Naturally we’ve lost a few over the years, we’ve even sacked one or two because we just didn’t gel. But we gave (and give) our clients our all, and a bit more besides.
We have always reserved the option to invest more time on brilliant creativity (even if, sometimes, the production quote doesn’t allow for it). Because that’s what we’re here for. To create. To love creating. To make a real difference to our clients’ businesses and to get proper job satisfaction in doing so.
When you love what you’re doing and when you do it with brilliant, like-minded people you tend to be successful and then people decide they’d like a bit (or even all) of you.
We’ve had countless suitors over the years. Even more in the last year or two as people see Tim and me silvering (or balding). But we have stayed fiercely independent with a capital ‘F’. We have never wanted to work for anyone else or work in a different way. We love having the ability to take risks that aren’t solely determined by a monetary outcome. We love taking a chance on young people and those without ‘suitable’ cv’s but who bring something very special. We love challenging the ‘same old, same old’ and applying emotional intelligence to all of our decision making.
We still get a buzz out of doing all of this nearly thirty whole years later.
RBH is us. We are RBH, but so are our exceptional colleagues.
When it came to deciding upon the future of Rees.Bradley.Hepburn, given Ian (Edward) had retired to write his ‘erotic fiction’ and Rees (Timothy Patrick) is now into his rock ’n roll 70’s we simply reverted back to our original founding intention, that we will always want this to be “our agency”.
We have built a company with proper purpose, a company full of employees passionate about what they do. Where people come to stay or, if they leave, often say we’re the best place they’ve ever worked. A company with a much-lauded, unique culture. As a client once said:
“You can always tell an RBH person. They’re all different but they all have that caring way of daring so you know your business is in safe but never complacent hands”.
Our culture, broken down:
- A good idea can come from anywhere. Listen up.
- Big egos not welcome here. Big personalities (quiet ones too) are.
- It’s not all about short-term profit, it’s about building long-term relationships and creating great stuff.
- What you do outside of work is as important as what you do in. Get inspired and energised by life, wherever you find it.
- Take risks, don’t be afraid of making mistakes or you’ll stop learning.
- Trust in a good outcome. More often than not you can make it happen.
- Always be ready to walk the extra mile. It will be appreciated and remembered.
- Remember not everyone has to be like you. Respect and embrace people’s differences.
- Always put yourself in a client’s or colleague’s shoes before making a judgement. Your issue may represent a microcosm of what’s going on in their world.
- Above all else, be kind. Care for each other and the planet.
- But be honest. Not in the middle of the office but in a separate space. Confront issues before they become divisions.
- Children and family come first. If you’re needed or you need to be there, go. To sports days, nativity plays, playground mishaps and life’s other soft/hard times.
- Have a laugh. Tell a Tim story and enjoy each other’s company.
- Life’s too short not to love what you do for a job.
This culture is very precious to us, to our colleagues and to our clients. We could never entrust it to anyone new. In fact, there is only one entity capable of carrying it forward and that is RBH itself.
On 19th December 2024 RBH transitioned into Employee Ownership. In the simplest terms RBH was sold to RBH. An EOT (Employee Ownership Trust) was set up which now holds 100% of the shares for the benefit of RBH employees.
Trustees (employee representatives) have been appointed and will liaise with/canvas employee opinion to bring forward issues and opportunities to the Board team in an open, honest and proactive manner.
I remain as MD (I was a mere girl when we set up RBH!) and Tim will be one of our Trustees, watching from the sidelines, sometimes cheering us on, sometimes throwing in some sage advice.
This way RBH stays in charge of its own future and protects the opportunity for all RBHers to make a good and happy living. It allows people to work in, have a say in, and own a company they can be proud of.
We hope our founding culture remains part of the everyday, but particularly in times of uncertainty (because there will be) or, when a change of direction is contemplated, we trust it will be referred to and used as the RBH DNA to help illuminate the way forward.
RBH at 30, as an EOT, has delivered on its vision back when we opened our doors on the 31st October 1995. Not communist maybe, but definitely a happy, kind and brilliantly creative place, owned by everyone for the greater good.
