CMDi helps companies compete successfully in the built environment by aligning their business and brand strategy to achieve growth. Since its inception in 1992 as Creative Marketing Direct, the firm has developed a unique approach and a highly experienced team, focused on working collaboratively with clients to sharpen brand strategy and improve communications. CMDi works at board level, with leading brands and membership organisations, to sharpen or transform their positioning, marketing, and communications. Its unique end-to-end approach includes strategic brand building, communications planning and full creative implementation, helping organisations to focus on key strategic issues and then turn strategy into action. The firm’s deep experience of the built environment and related sectors encompasses all areas: including product manufacturers, merchants, trade associations and construction companies – from international market leaders to UK challenger brands.
Growth driven change
In 2018 CMDi decided it needed its own makeover to cope with growth and get fit for the next few years. An internal review led the company to think about how its staff worked, how it interacted with its clients and therefore what sort of premises and IT were required to take the business forward.
In March this year all the planning came to fruition as the firm moved to a fantastic, modern, creative office environment that is close to Guildford station and all kitted out for a great collaborative experience. CMDi decided to embrace a remote working approach, where the team will be home-based, with people using the new offices when they require, for team sessions and client meetings.
IT to facilitate collaborative and distributed working
The company’s IT had been based around an on-premises Microsoft Small Business Server and Microsoft Exchange, but the change in premises and the move to a new way of working led to a review of the these systems. “As our team was going to be more distributed and mobile, we needed IT that would meet our operational plan” said Caroline Phillips, Commercial Director, “our systems had been well supported by PAAC IT, so it made sense for us to rely on them to take us forward”. With the help of PAAC IT, CMDi totally upgraded it’s IT systems to be future-fit with new workstations and a move to the Office 365 cloud environment. This enabled CMDI with a much faster, efficient and secure systems’ environment with better collaboration tools.