Claire Hutchings on positioning, primary research, and agency performance

Claire is Founder and MD of Chime, an agency for agencies. She is on a mission to solve the challenge all agencies face – their own marketing. With 15 years’ experience spanning boutique independents and global networked agencies, Claire has a passion for content, bridging strategy and delivery seamlessly bringing her extensive industry knowledge to all of Chime Agency’s clients. Claire and Chime have won several awards for their work including 2023 Rising Star in the UK Start-Up Awards and Best New Business in the 2022 Women’s Business Awards.

In this episode, Daniel sits down with Claire to discuss the recent launch of the second edition of its Agency Benchmarking Report - a piece of brilliant primary research exploring how agencies are doing when it comes to practicing what they preach. Hit play to dive into a conversation brimming with insights on strategic positioning, growth, and the transformative power of personal and professional resilience. With 20 years of friendship fueling their dialogue, this episode is a heartfelt blend of expert advice and inspiring success stories.

In this episode, hear about:

• Navigating redundancy to success: Claire shares her journey of being made redundant twice, including during maternity leave amid the Covid pandemic, and how these challenges led to unexpected growth opportunities and the founding of Chime.
• Market research mastery: Discover the sophisticated research Claire conducted comparing UK and US agencies, how she surveyed 200 agencies, and identified critical differences and opportunities for UK agencies to scale into the US market.
• From Freelance to Agency: Claire outlines the strategic steps she took to transform her freelance consulting practice into a thriving agency, including hiring key team members and the influence of her husband's MS diagnosis on her decision to scale the business.
• Practical competitive insight: Learn how Claire developed a robust competitor analysis framework that not only differentiates her agency but has also become a core strategy for client success.
• Future opportunities and expansion plans: Get a sneak peek into Claire’s future plans, including targeted US-specific content, email nurture campaigns, and speaking engagements in New York, to further establish her agency’s presence in the American market.

Tune in to hear Claire Hutchings’ thought-provoking journey of resilience, strategic acumen, and the art of positioning to stand out in a crowded agency market.

Follow and connect with Claire on LinkedIn.

Check out Chime Agency.

Download the Agency Benchmarking Report.

Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn.

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