10 years of creativity and success for The Practice – part I

After 5 years of activity, the agency was already counting over 30 awards and 60 nominations at different festivals and had in porfolio clients such as: Avon, Carpatcement, Colour, Cord Blood Center, Eurocopter, GlaxoSmithKline, Gusto Pufuleti, Hochland, IKEA, ING Bank, Medas, Peroni, RMGC, Smartree, Starbucks, Varta, Trilulilu, etc.

 

AdHugger ends this first part of the article with an exclusive interview offered to us by Gabriela Lungu:

Which were the most important moments of The Practice?

There were many milestones in the history of the agency. They paint a wonderful business story, hard to repeat or replicate. Some were a “first” just for us; but some are a “first” for the entire PR industry in Romania, and remarkable achievements for any agency in the world, so I’ll always be very proud of them. I’ll go through the ones directly linked to my leadership:

The time I met with Ioana and Stefan Iordache and agreed to build a new firm together. I suggested we called it The Practice; they liked it, so that was that.

The day we opened for business, on the 15^th of November 2006, just 4 people, in a tiny office (with glass walls, so we used to call it ‘the aquarium’), and with 1 client. The day of the official launch party, in February 2007, just 3 months after we had started working; we were already a team of 7, and we had retainer contracts for 11 brands.

The day we won our first 3 awards – in October 2007, at the Romanian PR Award.

The day we officially became partners of Publicis Consultants (now MSLGROUP), and Pascal Beucler, who is now a good friend and SVP and Chief Strategy Officer of MSLGROUP, came to Bucharest to launch this partnership and meet the team. It was January 23^rd, 2008.

The day we won our first international awards – in May 2008, at the European SABRE Awards Gala in Venice. One of the 4 awards we took home that night was actually the grand prix: the Platinum Award for the Best PR Program of the Year. What a night!

The day we became Agency of the Year for the first time, in 2009, at the Romanian PR Award. The same year we were also nominated at the European Excellence Awards as European Newcomer Agency of the Year.

The day Oana Bulexa became a Partner on the 16^th of July 2010.

The day we launched the first Digital & Social Media practice of a PR agency in Romania in November 2010.

The day we won the first PR Lion for Romania, at Cannes Lions in 2010. The day we won the first Global SABRE Award for Romania, in 2011.

The day Monica Jitariuc became a Partner in the agency as well – March 7^th, 2012.

The day we found out we were number 13^th in the world in PR creativity, according to the Holmes Report Creative Index 2012, Top Overall Agencies (this ranking was done irrespective of size or specialism; the other agencies in the top 15 were big global networks; my team was just 13 people, all ladies at the time, with an age average of 26 y.o. Hence my favourite hashtag: #supergirls).

The day I learned that Publicis Groupe would be buying THE PRACTICE and the agency will become a MSLGROUP office; a moment Stefan and I both knew it was coming. I knew right then that it was time for me to move on, take my career to a new level, move to an international hub, and leave the agency in the hands of Monica and Oana, the two people I was grooming for this role for some time. We were Agency of the Year in Romania for the second time when I left, we were winning for the first time Eastern European Agency of the Year at the EMEA SABRE Awards, and we were nominated as Emerging Markets Agency of the Year at the Global SABRE Awards. The year was 2013.

Which were the best decisions you took regarding the company? What about the worst one? Going back, is there anything you would do differently?

Perhaps the very best decision was to have the courage to launch a firm in the first place. Then to do it in partnership with Stefan and Ioana – the best investors & mentors I could have ever wanted. To focus it on award winning creativity, on ‘results through creativity’ right from the start, in a time when creativity was not such a big thing in Public Relations. To run the agency as a creative agency, not a regular PR firm. To part ways with toxic clients and people. No. Matter. What. To always care about the agency’s culture – and spend significant effort and budgets to keep the right kind of inspiring environment. To stick to my obsession of not working on one-off projects, but just on long term, retainer based contracts (this was especially tough during the global crisis, when we needed any business we could get; we made some exceptions, but very few). To launch a digital & social media practice in 2010 – the first one of a Romanian PR agency. To make the best of our people Partners, and share with them the profits, not just the glory. To sell the firm at the right time, and to a good global network. To leave the agency in the hands of Oana and Monica – they’re doing a brilliant job and I couldn’t be prouder.

The worst one? I had too high expectations from some people and pushed them too hard sometimes. And while for some colleagues this style was right, bringing out the best in them, for some it was no doubt the worst. I sometimes wish I could have known back then what I know now, after so many years of experience, and found other ways to get to the results we needed…

Do you ever regret moving on from the company?

No regret whatsoever. First of all because the agency is doing great, so I have no reasons. But also because it was time for me to move on. I had already run a Romanian office of an international network (Ogilvy PR Worldwide, from 2002 to 2006). Then I experienced being an entrepreneur in Romania: I started an agency, made it successful and sold it. I didn’t want to start repeating things. I’m still too young not to want new challenges.

I do have nostalgia though. Every time I hear the name The Practice. I will always feel like that. The Practice will always mean a lot to me.

How do you think that the clients and people from the industry perspective on the agency changed during the years? (if it’s the case)

On the most important things, no, I don’t think the perception has changed that much. Creativity is still at the core of the agency. And THE PRACTICE is still a reputable, respected agency on any criteria.

How is seeing from the outside the agency you created and built? 

It’s interesting actually. I can’t pretend I will ever be completely objective about The Practice (that is why I still recuse myself from judging their work when I see it in award shows for example), but I can definitely be a little less subjective. So I can see things with a bit more clarity, taking into account different factors… Almost like an external consultant who is a fan of the brand. So it’s always nice when the current management team asks for my view on things.

What pieces of advice did you give Oana and Monica prior to you leaving and what would you tell them now?

Back then I asked them to find their own way, their own voice, to keep evolving, but never to lose sight of the core values of the company – those shouldn’t change. I also advised them to get worried when there’s too much harmony – where there’s no tension, no conflict (the right kind, of course), there’s also no innovation and no progress.

Now all I say to them is… Keep Rockin’!