2017. Just look at what’s ahead.

This is a good time to stop, reflect, and take stock of how far we’ve come before plunging into the year ahead. I’d like to start by thanking all of our amazing clients, talented staff, dedicated partners and legions of friends, family and supporters of Williams Helde. Without your support we could not carry on for our 47^th year in business as an independent agency. Thank you for helping make our mission to create meaningful change through exceptional communication.

Speaking of change, 2016 was a year full of it. Through a shifting world and a divided election, Williams Helde negotiated that change as best we could, using the guiding force of our core values and having a staff that cares about our clients and always tries to do the right thing. As 2017 begins, we’ve made some changes that have helped prepare us for challenges to come.

Starting Up: One of our major initiatives was to create a division of Williams Helde designed to help startups launch themselves into the stratosphere: Active Labs. The creation of Active Labs forced us to focus on the essentials and foundation a company needs to effectively market itself. We consider this startup a success, having created brand foundations for bright young companies like i1Biometrics, Lulabop, and Samaritan.

Feeling Conscious: We also jumped head-first into something we’ve believed in for years: building Conscious Businesses. By becoming part of the founding board of Conscious Capitalism in Seattle we are helping businesses become driven by a higher purpose than simply revenues and profits.

Improving Lives: In 2016, we were fortunate enough to help launch a number of global projects for Philips. From connected toothbrushes to a campaign that celebrates the daily heroism of hygienists, we’ve helped communicate how Philips supports dental professionals and their patients. We also had the opportunity to build campaigns for Philips healthcare, through their Respironics and Ultrasound divisions. We’re proud to play a small part in helping improve the lives of millions around the globe.

We’ve been improving lives in other ways, too. If you haven’t downloaded the
Pay-By-Phone app, check out our campaign and get it on your phone right away. You’ll never park the same again. Also, our work for Nautilus and Bowflex went worldwide, inspiring a healthy active lifestyle for thousands of people.

Celebrating Culture: Inside the agency, we took steps to work better together. From monthly lunch and learns to making our own wine to studying improv, we worked (and played) hard to get closer as a team to deliver a seamless experience for our clients. We completely redesigned our website to reflect the spirit of adventure we all share. Not only did we win our first Addy for our in-depth exploration of the Active Explorer, but we continue to learn a lot about this ever-striving psychographic through our proprietary Active Explorer User Group – just ask to see our special reports on Food and Travel.

Looking Forward:  Like I said, it’s been a year full of change. And in 2017, that change looks like it’s going to accelerate. This year, you’ll find us uncovering more insights about Active Explorers, the best customer you never knew you had. You’ll find us working with the most exciting new startups in the Puget Sound ecosystem. You’ll find us more focused on building conscious brands that make a difference in the world we live in.

It’s an exciting time to be at Williams Helde. Thanks for being part of it. We look forward to building something amazing together in 2017.

Sincerely,

Marc Williams