City & Guilds has been at the forefront of global education for almost 140 years and as of November 2018, their new digital agency, Clay Creative, has been revitalizing their online presence and bringing the heritage-rich international company into the 21st century.
A City & Guilds qualification has been a long-standing stamp of quality but with the changing times and new digital era, the brand image hasn’t been able to move with the times as much as it would like. After putting their digital business out to pitch to well-known names in industry, new mavericks in adland, Clay Creative swooped in to take the win with their #FutureFit concept to be launched officially in 2019.
Co-founder and Creative Head at Clay Creative, Caitlin Aadnesgaard says, “We looked at the international education landscape and saw all the major players were taking the same approach that they were 10 years ago.” She goes on to explain that the students entering the learning sphere have fears that their qualifications won’t be relevant in 10 years time as they’ve already seen the world change so much in their short lifespans. The same goes for employers who are seeing star teams fumble when their market shifts to a more modern era, and are seeking solutions with longevity. “Our concept for 2019 goes beyond a creative filter, it informs a business strategy and speaks to the mindset of our consumers,” says Account Manager Ashley Bam, who also co-founded Clay Creative.
“Being future fit means you rise with the tide and have all the tools you need to succeed today and tomorrow,” says Aadnesgaard.
With a presence in Africa, South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Pacific, City & Guilds has a near-impossible task of staying locally relevant across a diverse range of cultures, languages and audiences. This is a common challenge for global brands, as consumers in India won’t respond to the same message that resonates with stakeholders in South Africa. Clay Creative has a substantial job ahead of them and their success could stand as a new benchmark of best practice.
When asked about the strategy going forward, Lead Strategist Tiffany Fernandes says, “We’re not limiting ourselves to previous ways of thinking, we plan to test our ideas before we implement them across the board so that we are servicing our target markets effectively.” Head Copywriter Helen Aadnesgaard adds that “We’re not making assumptions at this point… We’d rather do work that works.”
The Clay Creative team is lean and agile, with a seasoned and award-winning team to effectively steer the City & Guilds ship into new frontiers. Looking forward to this new chapter, both founders agree that the international education game is about to change.
City & Guilds has been at the forefront of global education for almost 140 years and as of November 2018, their new digital agency, Clay Creative, has been revitalizing their online presence and bringing the heritage-rich international company into the 21st century.
