When we set up Atelier Studios in 2001, the world was a very different place. Creativity was king, and a knowledge of digital communications was respected and revered in isolation.

Atelier fitted well into this landscape: our understanding of the importance of multichannel marketing – the oft-cited integrated mix – coupled with the great creative minds which founded the business put us well ahead of the curve in terms of process and results.

But, we are innovators by trade and innovators are notoriously restless – rarely too precious to be told that we could be better. Indeed, when I met with B2B data guru Simon Lawrence in 2012 and he introduced me to the virtues of embedding data insights into our agency, not as a periphery but as a crucial part of the creative process, I sat up and listened with interest.

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We realised that a partnership with his insight shop, Uncommon Knowledge, could expand the scope of both our businesses to include creative and communications planning which is informed entirely by data and insight, creating a completely seamless proposition for our clients. The consultancies now work together to provide clients with an effective amalgamation of premium design and truly integrated, data driven services that inform the creative and communications and provide a measureable improvement in ROI.

Together, we are now able to influence clients’ marketing strategy at a much higher level (rather than being just the production, at the end of the chain). We have insights into how to produce a successful campaign, rather than just a creative one.

Most importantly for me though: we now once again represent the future, rather than just a great example of the present.