Spotlight Series: Strawberrysocial
Legacy Club SHINES A LIGHT ON SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY, to see what makes them and their businesses tick!
We spoke rebecca fiTZgerald, founder of brand protectors, strawberrysocial
Please tell us a little bit about you the person (not you the business owner): I have a background in theatre, media and events - I rather wandered into the world of social media about 16+ years ago. I love to network (I have so missed the f2f events during lockdown), a good chat, nice wine, great food, interesting people and stories... oh and a never-ending supply of books. I've recently made the move out of London for a while, get some space and greenery out near Amersham. I have a cat that I got from a rescue centre in Kilburn on the first day of lockdown last year and he's been an absolute godsend - bringing a good-natured chaos to my life as well as plenty of furry tumbleweed and headbuts.
Describe your business in less than 30 words: We do brand protection and online safety for agencies, brands and charities. This involves 24/7 moderation, community management, crisis advice, best practice and strategy. NHS Digital is our biggest client.
What industry or sector does your business fall in to?: Social media
What did you do before you started your business?: I started in theatre many years ago, then worked in media and events - including writing training courses for PACT and SPAA. I 'fell' into social media when working part time as a moderator on CBBC, Big Brother and E4. I went on to become the first Account Manager at Emoderation (now called The Social Element) and stayed there for nine years. There I built up workflows, best practice and strategies for online protection and worked my way up to Director of Client Operations. A redundancy then provided me with the idea opportunitiy to start my own business.
What have been the biggest struggles that you have encountered, and what did you do to overcome them?: Well, not to be boring here but... money! A steady cashflow has always been the thing that causes the most sleepless nights. It's also a big barrier to growing a company - especially one that is in an industry where projects come and go continuously. Then there's the issue with retaining good people when, again, work is often seasonal and can change with the drop of a hat. I'm not sure it's possible to 'overcome' struggles but I manage by surrounding myself with a couple of very experienced, sensible 'heads' plus keeping a tight rein on budgets and the work that we agree to take on.
Have you had any external investment to date?: Yes
What has been the impact of COVID-19 on your business and did you make any changes, or pivots?: Let me just touch wood before I say this... We have done well during the pandemic. I was worried at the start, thinking that budgets would be hacked down by companies and therefore our work would disappear. But, the opposite happened. Most brands and charities shifted more of their budgets to online and, with so many contentious issues around Covid, they needed the safe hands of our experienced moderators.
Do you struggle with, or have you found any of the following barriers to your business growth?: Access to finance/funding, Infrastructure, Leadership Capacity
Do you have any business hero's, if so, who are they?: Holly Tucker - Not On The High Street.
Financial Rewards or Business Awards?: Financial Rewards
What was the last book you read?: 800 Fast. Yes the struggle continues! :)
Tell us something totally unique about your business: Not to be corny but I'd say it's that we all care about the work we do and want the very best for our clients.
Finally, please tell us what we can look forward to with your business in the next 12 months.: A new website, a new logo... Further growth and perhaps a bigger push on our intellectual property - I'd like to get our blogs more widely circulated and also speak at a few more events on the importance of moderation, online safety and brand protection. Promoting the message that online communities are here to stay and that they need nurturing and curating, not picking up and then dropping when it suits the organisation.
