TGt Meets…Jess of Halo Associates

In this TGt Meets, we heard from Jessica Bain, the co-founder of Halo Associates.

Tell us about the services Halo Associates provide.

We’re a full-service marketing agency, which basically means we have in-house experts across the entire industry, from branding right through to marketing campaigns, paid advertising, SEO and website development. It’s all about working with companies and organisations to help them reach their perfect customer and ultimately grow their business.

What experience prepared you to be Co-Founder of Halo?

There have been so many experiences that led me here. I graduated from Bournemouth University in 2008 with a degree in Advertising & Marketing, and have worked in the industry ever since. It’s been an incredibly varied journey; I’ve worked with charities such as the RNLI right through to big global businesses and small independents. Every single one of them has taught me something valuable, and no two days have ever been the same! For me, it’s important to learn from the wins but also the challenges, because that’s when you have to flex, push harder and evolve, which is at the heart of our success as an agency.

What is the most rewarding part of your role at Halo Associates?

It has to be the team. When Nick and I took over Halo just over two years ago, we wanted to create an environment where everyone can be themselves, feel valued and thrive. For us, it’s about nurturing an internal culture that supports every single employee, giving them the freedom and confidence to blossom both in the agency and at home. We recently made the Sunday Times Best Place to Work list, which shows just how far we’ve come in such a short space of time.

What makes Halo Associates stand out against other marketing agencies?

As a smaller agency, we have an incredibly down-to-earth and personal approach, which cuts through the bells and whistles and allows us to nurture authentic, long-standing partnerships. We also support our partners strategically and holistically, making sure every decision is rooted in insight and works seamlessly across their marketing efforts. Nothing is done in isolation; instead, we look at the whole picture, fine-tuning our approach to create cohesion and impact.

In your experience, what are the key factors that make a marketing campaign achieve exceptional results?

It’s all in the planning. Every decision we make is strategic, whether that’s looking at the data, exploring current trends, or delving deep into who the audience is and what their motivations are. And we’re obsessed with measuring success, because it allows us to pivot and learn, which is essential in the extremely fast-moving world of marketing. It’s also about setting clear parameters - What do we need to achieve? When do we need to achieve it by? - By asking these questions and setting clear objectives, we can make strategic marketing decisions that are precise and confident. One more thing! When it comes to successful marketing campaigns, it’s so important to think creatively and not be afraid to be different. This has been a huge factor in some of our most successful work, and is what we love to bring to every partnership.

How does Halo Associates tailor marketing strategies to fit the goals of each client you work with?

When it comes to creating a truly tailored marketing strategy, knowledge is power. So, the first thing we do is sit down with our client and get to know their business inside out. It’s not enough to just ask what results they need; we want to know everything, from their success and challenges so far to their competitors, audience, USPs and, of course, business objectives both now and in the future. It’s also important to understand what’s feasible within the budget and timeframe - this sets the parameters for action, allowing us to fine-tune our services for the best possible outcome.

Do Halo Associates keep up with digital trends and technological advancements? If so, how?

This is a huge thing for us. The world of marketing moves incredibly fast, so any successful agency needs to be on the pulse, all the time. One of our internal behaviours is ‘Growth Mindset’, which means we’re proactive in keeping up-to-date with the latest innovations and trends. But it’s important not to get sucked into fads - we don’t try new things for the sake of it, it has to be right for the individual client and in-line with their marketing strategy. AI is a big focus for us this year; we’ll be exploring and integrating it further into our own practices, and are excited to see the positive impact it has on our clients’ results.

Click here to find out more about Halo Associates.