What a year! These past 12 months have brought huge changes to Passion HQ, with everything from a new office to new employees and new clients. And while the year has flown by (seriously, how is it already December?!), we’ve still managed to pack in some serious work – and some serious partying.
As we get ready to say goodbye to 2021, some of our Passionistas have looked fondly back at their own memories, picking out their highlights to share with you all.
Owen: Long-Standing Passionista
The best thing about Passion this year has to be the new office. It’s a big upgrade from the old one and it’s great to be in the hustle and bustle of Brixton! And it’s not just the new office that’s been an upgrade – the Global Web Index has been a very useful research tool. It’s been key in offering Insight and Strategy as a standalone service, as well as augmenting our campaign planning and delivery.
Of course, Passion wouldn’t be Passion without the culture and social events we put on. The culture is the lifeblood of an agency and it’s fantastic to see how committed everyone is to preserving and nurturing our culture. The Agency Away Day was a fantastic example of that – that was a highlight of the year. Everyone contributed and made it a fantastic and valuable day. Also it was the first time meeting Ian, our Head of Web, and Chily, our Joint Managing Director, in person!
As for Owen’s favourite social event? “I would have to say it’s a tie between the Sports Day and the bake off at our Summer Party, pre 9pm… then it gets a bit hazy. 🥴” Classic!
Helen: Paid Media Passionista
My favourite thing about Passion is the clients. They are all really lovely, fun and great to work with, and that makes the job so worthwhile. I also really enjoyed the coaching training we had. Even though it isn’t necessarily directly relevant for work, it’s changed how I interact with both friends and colleagues. When people come to me with problems, I listen so much more and help them come to an answer on their own terms.
The office space we have is great. I’ve really liked coming in two or three times a week and having meetings in person rather than remotely! I also love the lunch trips where we go out and explore Brixton – and the occasional yoga session to feel zen. The cocktail social was also great fun, and I made a pretty epic beer pong shot…
As for Helen’s 2021 highlight? “Getting The Lost Explorer Mezcal to 10k followers!” Bravo!
Carolina: Organic Marketing Passionista
Having an experienced and knowledgeable team to work with day to day is one of my favourite things about Passion. I’ve grown personally and professionally, and Passion’s company culture has had a huge impact on this. We have training sessions and one-to-one catch ups with line managers and the wider Organic Marketing team. This helps us understand where we stand, what needs improving and how we can achieve our internal goals. This year, we’ve been evaluating the tools we use within the team and have come up with an integrated tools package with loads of cool new features that allow us to get the best insights so we can build strategies for our clients.
Having an open office space available to us promotes team interaction and engagement, which really makes a difference. We’re able to get to know each other more! We’ve had so many new starters that are making such positive differences in how our team interacts, performs and evolves, so it’s nice to get to know everyone when we go into the office. That’s been the highlight of my year – watching our team grow so much.
Of course, it’s not Passion without a successful social, and it seems like the Agency Away Day was very popular! “We got to spend the day together as an agency, focusing on sharing how Passion is currently and how we can improve.” It really was a day to remember.
Alex W.: Working-From-Home Passionista
One of the highlights of my 2021 has definitely been getting hired at Passion in the first place! The warm welcome I received when I started in March was incredible and hasn’t wavered. Coming from another agency, I’ve enjoyed being able to work with a new, diverse and challenging range of clients. The support from the team (and upgrading our SEMrush logins!) has definitely helped me excel at work.
Although I’ve been primarily working from home, the culture at Passion HQ has been evident from the first time I logged into my work computer. The Agency Away Day was a really good chance to see this in action, and to witness the full extent of Passion’s imagination and values. It was also a great chance for different facets of the team to work together to present new ideas to each other.
Any other 2021 highlights, Alex? “My band finally releasing the album we’d recorded over the course of the pandemic! And then actually playing live in front of real people. It was almost unimaginable at the start of the year.” Fightmilk’s album ‘Contender’ is available now on all streaming platforms!
Afsana: Newbie Passionista
I have enjoyed every moment of working at Passion Digital. I was super nervous when I joined as it’s my first time working with a big team, but everyone has made me feel so welcome and it seems like I’ve worked here for more than three months! Having no experience in digital marketing, I’m very lucky to have a supportive line manager – and Management team – who are constantly helping me excel in my job, from enrolling me onto online courses to providing one-to-one sessions. I’ve been given numerous opportunities to produce my own creative ideas that we can utilise within the business, which helped me gain even more confidence and produce my own creative ideas.
Even though I’ve not been here for long, I can certainly say that, because of how amazing the culture is at Passion HQ, I’ve enjoyed it so much – and the next year looks very promising. I especially liked the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and ‘Passion for People’ sessions, which let us voice our concerns and give suggestions on how the company can introduce changes to benefit us all. But my favourite event so far was the Agency Away Day. It was great to meet every member of the team and I even led my own session! I also loved inviting four local charities to come and present and give us some ideas on how to give back to the local community.
Afsana, what’s been the highlight of your year? “My big move to London! I’ve always dreamed of having a career in London and not only have I achieved that, but I’m also working for one of the best digital marketing agencies in the city. I’ve also managed to find the time to start a charity and organise a fundraiser in my hometown of Oxford!” We love to see it.
Things at Passion have changed drastically over the past year! But luckily the people – old and new – have managed to take note of the important parts. And I can happily say that the Agency Away Day was definitely an event worth shouting about. If you’re interested in learning more about how we work (or even if you just want a chat or a game of ping pong!) then give us a call or drop by our new office.
If this has made you want to join our motley crew of digital marketers, we’re hiring. See our job listings for a role to suit you (or refer us to a friend!)