“Have we become too comfortable with convenience?”

Our Joint MD, John, recently took a trip to Switzerland to catch up with some of our clients (read about it here). It was a valuable visit for lots of reasons—not least because of his now expert-level knowledge of Swiss public transport—and it got us thinking.

With hybrid and remote working becoming more commonplace as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, is the ease of virtual communication actually just moving the dial too far in the wrong direction?

Like everything in life, it’s all about balance—and Teams and Zoom have undeniably brought huge benefits, especially in a more eco-conscious world. But many of us have seemingly convinced ourselves that virtual catchups are more effective.

John’s week in Switzerland gave us a timely reminder that this isn’t always true. But more importantly, it led to two vital conclusions:

The science stuff

Our discussion about the impact of our boosted screen time set the cogs whirring; surely there’s something scientific in all this? As it turns out, there very much is.

We know that the timeline of human existence on Earth stretches back around 200,000 years. Up until March 2020, the majority of this time has been spent almost exclusively in person.

So, face-to-face interaction is deeply rooted in our biological evolution. More recent findings also show that our behaviour, brain processes, and cognition work differently when we interact in the same physical space.

It’s a chemistry thing. In-person conversations, along with physical gestures like handshakes and hugs, have been proven to release oxytocin—a feel-good hormone that builds trust and fosters social connections.

Which makes sense. It’s much harder to read things like body language and social cues through a screen; we lose the subtlety that’s so key to shaping our dynamics and strengthening our relationships. The task-oriented nature of our virtual meetings also leaves little space for the small talk that helps us feel more connected with one another.

“You can’t truly add value and elevate a project with creativity until you know your client. And you’ll never fully know your client until you’ve spent time with them in person.”

How do we reconcile this with modern-day agency life?

Ours is a people industry. It’s also creative and fast-paced with tight deadlines. Sometimes, we just need to get shit done, pronto, and in these instances, it absolutely makes sense to jump on a Teams call.

But the thing is, it’s not always about productivity or efficiency. Building trust and rapport with our clients is essential for us to do what we do best (transforming creative into reality). And you have to put the work in to make this happen.

We’ve never been an agency to just churn out what our clients ask for without a second thought; we pride ourselves on going above and beyond. But you fundamentally can’t do that well without knowing the person behind the brief.

So, to answer our own question, we think convenience is overrated—and we challenge you to change our minds. Let’s chat about it in person; coffees are on us.

Let’s make ideas happen—together. Visit us in person and experience how collaboration sparks creativity.