TGt Meets...Nick Bain of Halo Associates

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

How did your career lead you to Halo Associates?

I’ve always worked in agencies as a digital designer, and started to specialise in web design and UX in the mid noughties. Having worked in boutique agencies all the way through to large, full-service agencies, I’ve collected a huge amount of experience and insight into not just web designing, but also how businesses are managed and run. This is something I’ve been interested in from the very start of my career, so taking on Halo felt like a natural and exciting progression for me.

How do you approach blending creative ideas with strategic planning to ensure the success of a campaign?

It’s so important that creativity and strategy are aligned. To achieve this, we look closely at the businesses' audience, competition, objectives, budget and timescales, always with a close eye on what’s happening in the industry at the time. Only then can we start thinking about the creative route. When creativity is underpinned by strategy, it goes from being a shot in the dark to a well-aimed, data-driven campaign that will get a higher return on investment.

Can you share a recent project that challenged you and how you overcame it?

Last year we partnered with a new holiday park brand that had no previous marketing activity, very little audience data and no pipeline. In less than four months from brand launch, we managed to sell out summer at their flagship park. There were so many factors involved in the success, but one of the biggest contributors has to be our close collaboration as a team. We needed to think strategically and creatively, and that meant bringing all our experts together to make intelligent decisions rooted in insight.

What role does collaboration play in Halo Associates? Is there much teamwork across different departments?

Collaboration is integral to Halo. Everything we do, for every partner, is through cross team collaboration. We have multiple disciplines across branding and marketing, and every expert, whether that’s developers, designers, copywriters or digital specialists, needs to work seamlessly together to get the best possible result. 

What advice would you give to someone looking to build a career in the digital industry?

It’s important to be adaptable to change; the industry is always evolving, and you have to evolve with it. However, it’s just as important to stay true to what’s right for your client. Don’t try something new just because it’s new - keep the end goal in mind and do what you need to do to achieve it. You also need to be able to learn quickly and be proactive in your own growth - this is what sets great digital designers apart from the rest.

Looking ahead, what trends or changes do you foresee that could impact Halo Associates, and how do you plan to adapt to them?

AI is a huge consideration and we’re exploring how it can maximise our efficiency and impact. However, it’s still in its infancy, so it’s important to approach it with a level of caution. Yes, it can streamline processes, but it can’t replace human creativity, which is at the core of what we do.

Click here to find out more about Halo Associates.