Back in 2010, with a budget of £25, a then 22 year old Sarah Leverton started Black Geko Media. The £25 went on business cards, and the next ten years, especially 2020, were completely uneventful. The end.
Of course that’s not the way the story has unfolded! As with all adventures, there have been ups and downs, sunny times and stormy seas, but here we still are, 10 years later and with a new look and company name to take us forward.
We’ve taken this milestone year (and the time a global pandemic allows for reflection!) to refresh our brand and our approach.
So we thought it was a great chance to pop the kettle on, grab the biscuit tin, and sit down with MD Sarah to find out more about the past, the present and the future of Fastnet.
So first things first, what was once Black Geko Media is now The Fastnet Agency, how did that come about?
SL – “To try to cut a very long story short, we ran as Black Geko Media for five years, before becoming Fastnet Marketing in 2015, as we decided to focus on our specialisms, the marine and outdoor sectors.
Initially, it was me and a great group of freelancers. When we made the switch to Fastnet Marketing, we had a growing team and a new location which put us in a great position.
However, as with all things, over time our experience grew, and the industry changed. We wanted to mark our 10 year anniversary with something special, and of course we’ve had the chance to do some proper reflection over the last few months about where we want to take the business in the future, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to refresh our brand.”
Why did you choose the new name The Fastnet Agency?
SL – “For me, it was about getting a balance between something fresh and new, but also remaining trustworthy and reliable to our longstanding clients.
The link to ‘Fastnet Marketing’ is clear, but we’ve become more than that as a business. The support we offer now is much more strategic than purely marketing, so it feels completely right to reflect this in our name.
Also, I’ve known for a long time that the core of the business is its people, who aren’t just all marketing-types in stiff suits (in fact we don’t have any of these!). It takes a range of skills and diversity of thought to successfully support a business in today’s fast-paced environment, so I feel the term ‘agency’ is far more reflective of our team as a whole.”
How did you create the new brand colours?
SL – “It was quite a process for me, but I knew I wanted to stay aligned to two key things – our home county of Cornwall, and our enjoyment of the great outdoors.
After lots of research I came across a photo I loved of one of our local beaches, Gyllyngvase. I then based our new colour palette on all the beautiful sand, sea and sky colours in the picture – a perfect way to capture both the county we love, and also one of our favourite places to be!
Where do you see yourself in another 10 years?
SL – “The million dollar question! For me, the important thing is that the heart of The Fastnet Agency remains the same – that we have a passionate, dynamic, happy team working alongside passionate, dynamic and happy clients!
I’m so proud to still have clients working with me now who were there in the very beginning, and I really hope I can still say that in another 10 years.
I feel we really do have something special when it comes to creating smart strategies for business growth – we’re not about getting stuck in a rut or churning out the same old content… the whole team is committed to delivering fresh ideas for our clients to help their business grow, and we genuinely care about each business we work with and want it to succeed.
I know that with this approach, over the next 10 years The Fastnet Agency will continue to go from strength to strength. I can’t wait.”
