Zara Weston from Hamilton-Brown Bristol - Summer Q&A 2021

It's July the second summer month and this month has two main themes - are we going to have more freedom and what about all of that sport on offer?

Today we're discussing some of those things with Zara Weston who is head of Hamilton-Brown Bristol. Hamilton-Brown is a creative design agency based in London and Bristol.

What are your plans for July & August in your business? 

July is a month for focusing on the future. Short term, the future beyond the 19th of July, and longer term, the future beyond the pandemic. 

While our whole team have continued to deliver amazing results for our clients from home, we are looking forward to getting more of our people back together face-to-face to allow the collaboration to flow more easily and to help us all reconnect on a more personal level outside of a screen. To this end we are hoping to bring back in-person social events as well as opportunities to work together in the same physical studio space. For the longer term, we have begun discussions with our team about how and where they want to work in the future and will be building out our hybrid working plans in July, based on our employees' views, for implementation later in the year when more people are ready to come back to our studios. 

July is also about taking the next steps in our own brand refresh and we are excited about sharing our new look with the wider Hamilton-Brown team and then the outside world. 

What are your personal plans for this month? 

For the first time in a long time, I have plans to see friends and have a couple of re-unions in the diary which I’m really looking forward to. I am about to have my second jab soon and most people I know have had at least one which I think makes a big difference in people’s confidence around socialising. 

Other than that, waiting for the weather to improve to get some new lawn down in our garden! My husband and I recently got a new puppy (Finley) and he is currently running around on mud!

Does July hold any particular significance for you or your business/organisation? 

It’s our 21st company anniversary this month – a huge milestone for us. This month is a time to take a moment to look back at our journey to date and to celebrate our fantastic team of dedicated and loyal employees. 

Over the last 21 years the business has grown and adapted to the ever-changing creative industry, starting from creating PowerPoint solutions in-house to expanding into InDesign and the adobe suite and eventually our first studio in London. In the last 5 years we have seen our digital presence grow and flourish – with our second location office opening in Bristol. We have undergone several changes as many businesses have through the pandemic, but our organisation has become stronger and more efficient than ever before. I am proud to say I will be celebrating six years with Hamilton-Brown this year.

To celebrate this milestone, we are launching a brand re-fresh which will be rolled out later this year. 

July 19 was dubbed ‘freedom day’ what things will you be looking forward to in business and life that you’ve had to put on hold? 

I am looking forward to a little normality, especially in the workplace and returning to the office. Like many businesses I have been working from home for so long now the months seem to blend into one! I am looking forward to re-connecting with colleagues in person, the small things like going for coffee or popping to see a client face to face.

It’s also the month when the summer Olympics – Tokyo 2020 – begin. Do you have an Olympic thoughtsyou’d like to share? 

I am a big fan of the Olympics. I have always been in awe of the discipline it takes to be an athlete – of any sport. Sports are about teamwork, competition, victory, defeat, growth, endurance, intelligence, drive, passion, inspiration, desire, motivation, and honour. They stand for all the qualities we can ever dream of having. 

The Olympics brings the world closer together – inspiring young people, bringing family closer together, whether you are a participant, coach, volunteer, or fan at the local pub – we all take memories away from these games. 

July is often associated with sport in the UK – with other events like the British Open (golf) and also Wimbledon? How important is sport to you in your life or business? 

Sport is very much a large part of my life; group sport has taken a bit of a back seat with lockdown though, so I am looking forward to seeing a bit of a comeback in business. In Bristol, there are always groups of people taking part in sport everywhere whether it be football, tennis or a bootcamp class. 

It’s always so much more than the sport itself, it’s about people coming together and teamwork. As a runner myself, I enjoy watching sprint track races - I know how hard it is to complete a race let alone the incredible record times athletes achieve! 

On a much lighter note – July 17 was World Emoji Day, and this often trends on social media. What do you think of emojis?

I wouldn’t say I was over the top with emojis however always tend to use one here and there in personal messages. I find group personal messages where they feature the most. I associate emojis much more in a ‘personal life’ lens than a ‘business life’ one. 

That said, I have certainly noticed emojis appearing much more in business – especially with working from home with colleagues. Platforms such as Teams – emojis are part of their makeup so difficult to avoid. A new emoji? Maybe a black dog one! Or a diamond. 

Can you name one business you’d like to give a summer shout out too? Who has gone the extra mile for you recently? 

It would be hard to mention one client or supplier as we have had so much support from all our loyal clients throughout the pandemic allowing our teams to continue to work and deliver great design across a multitude of platforms. We have also been lucky enough to grow our client list and welcome a number of new companies that we have built lasting relationships with. 

Our own internal Hamilton-Brown teams have been extraordinary over the tough months and have worked really hard and pulled together to deliver outstanding work going above and beyond. Their approach and positivity are a credit to each and every person that we work with both in the design teams as well as support and core teams that allow our agency to thrive.

Have you got any services or special offers you’d like to mention? 

As we start to navigate out of the pandemic, a trend we have seen gain traction in recent months is clients looking to work with creative agencies such as ours to breathe life into and refresh their branding and visual identities. We feel clients are after new outlooks for their brand to stand out from the competition. A lot of businesses have since adapted their ethos to reflect new ways of working and looking to reflect this within their brand.

And finally: 

Just to say, for a lot of individuals and businesses the pandemic has marked a great deal of change which has been unsettling to say the least in my experience. The most powerful and successful step you can make is to embrace change and to not be afraid to seek advice and support from anywhere you need. I have found people and businesses that have embraced change and adapted to the tide have evolved positively by leaps and bounds.  

Find out more about Hamilton-Brown here.