CELEBRATING OUR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY: THE BEST IS YET TO COME

It seems like only yesterday I took that leap and started Crux. It was, quite literally, my “dream job”, I set the company up according to my own vision of how a creative agency should operate. Now Crux is celebrating our tenth anniversary!

Crux’s structure, goals, and culture were inspired by and founded on my own experiences, special areas of expertise and personal commitment to customer service. Right from the start, we were conscious that every business, including ours, has to challenge the status quo in order to stand out from the competition. That’s why “Bravery Required” is our mantra and why we’ve always encouraged our clients to step out of their comfort zone to rise above the crowd.

I am very proud of what we’ve accomplished. I am also very humbled, because when you run your own business, you find that life is full of lessons – some harder to learn than others – about your industry, your clients, the economy and the people who work with you and for you. In fact, this state of continual education is absolutely essential in an economy that is dependent on ever-changing digital technology. To stay competitive, businesses must keep up with the latest advances in hardware, software and online security. We are continuously researching the latest trends, sharing insights with our peers and learning from our mentors.

Yet even as we deal with the complexities of global communications via websites, YouTube videos and social media, as brand marketers our primary focus is still on touching the hearts and minds of our clients’ customers one person at a time. We know that whatever industry our clients are in, attracting new customers is only half the goal. The other half is building strong, long-term customer relationships to ensure sustained profitability.

To do this most effectively, we work as our clients’ marketing “partner,” rather than as a “vendor,” and always take a personal interest in their achievements. In truth, few things give me more personal satisfaction than knowing that Crux has contributed to a client’s success. I love getting that email that says that our social media plan has increased the number of their followers from double digits to hundreds or thousands. Or that excited call from a client sharing the news that the opening of their new exhibit got rave reviews in the Chicago Tribune.

Now, as Crux begins our next decade, we want to thank our staff and our vendors for contributing to our agency’s growth. And, above all, to express our appreciation to our clients for entrusting us with your business. May the future hold even more success for us all.