This year, we conducted our first peer review, an important step in our journey to build an assertive and international profile for creativity. This exercise was born out of a need to look outward to understand how we are perceived by those we collaborate with and frankly, are in competition with, people we respect the opinions of. Specifically asking founders, creative directors, heads of strategy and design leads from all across the creative industry.

In an industry driven by innovation and relationships, it is essential to move beyond assumptions and seek honest, external perspectives to guide our growth. Inspired by the principles of transparency and accountability central to the B Corp ethos, the peer review allowed us to assess not just what we do well but also where we have room to evolve, and understand how our efforts are actually landing with people, taking them from abstract ideas to human-led insights.

The feedback we received was as varied as it was valuable. There were moments of great affirmation, where the strength of our work and approach resonated clearly. Some feedback exceeded even our expectations, showcasing outstanding instances of creativity and collaboration that reinforce the impact we aim to have.

One particular highlight was a quote from a CCO at a very respected agency - “So I would say you are an agency with vision and you go about making that happen. With integrity.”

Whilst other insights were more challenging and took some time to digest. Some saying our focus seemed to be more on “physical and print rather than digital”, others saying we appeared quite “private”. While it's never particularly nice to hear critiques, it's important, and we welcome a feedback culture where constructive criticism enables us to reflect and try to grow.

We didn’t keep this process behind closed doors. Instead, we shared the feedback across the company. By involving the entire team, we created a space for shared learning and collective responsibility, embedding the lessons from this exercise into our broader culture. The peer review is not a one-time event but an ongoing commitment to understanding, improving, and innovating. Constructive criticism - those classic buzzwords - are actually something we really do see the value of. Our team members can’t grow and evolve if they aren’t challenged, and our work will never be the best it can be if people don’t push it. We held an informal workshop where we encouraged our people, at all levels and in all departments to provide constructive feedback on our work, and we also held formal training for our senior team members to learn how to provide feedback that will encourage the best from our people.

Looking ahead, we intend to make this process an annual feature of our processes. Regular assessments of how we’re perceived will help ensure we stay connected to the wider creative landscape and continuously refine our approach. As we evolve, we will explore ways to align the feedback process with our core philosophy of Beautility, ensuring that the ideas of making good choices desirable and fostering positive impact are woven into every step.

There is also an opportunity to begin this process to assess how we are perceived in our community, and how we can build our presence here and help to affect change.