The following article contains the interview of journalist Katja Brukke of Marketing Report conducted with Reinier Rombouts on the 10th of January 2020 (source: Marketingreport.nl)
Reinier Rombouts about credibility and delivering what you promise
Our Marketing Report columnist Reinier Rombouts has joined the new agency TheNewTomorrow. TheNewTomorrow is a company that helps SMEs with the optimal use of digital, marketing, PR and communication. We want to know more.
Can you introduce TheNewTomorrow?
TheNewTomorow was founded in 2017 by Floris Regouin. He helped companies to take the next step in the field of strategy and digital business operations. In 2020 TheNewTomorrow will make a growth leap by connecting two new partners: Geertjan Vorstenbosch and myself. Our ambition is to bring SMEs to the next level, so they can offer their customers more. We do this by making business human, making better connections and the optimal use of digital, marketing, PR and communication. So that they will flourish and grow, looking to the future and at the same time achieving the first results tomorrow.
Who are your direct competitors and what distinguishes TheNewTomorrow?
We don’t think in competition, but in opportunities. Of course there are several agencies that focus on digital, marketing and communication. That’s fine. We do this in our own way, by looking at what a client needs and putting together a team. First of all, with the client’s own internal staff, TheNewTomorrow’s business guides and, where necessary, specialists from our network. Flexible, concrete and result-oriented. We bring supply and demand together in a flexible and up to date way, so that customers always have the most relevant knowledge and expertise needed at that moment. By working in a very focused way unnecessary investments in time or money can be avoided.
Why did you join?
I have been working as a self-employed person under the name Chief Storyteller for almost five years. I enjoyed doing that, but over the past year I noticed that customers approached me more and more often with larger issues and jobs. I found that interesting and at the same time I’m too small on my own to tackle those jobs. I had been talking to Floris and Geertjan for some time about possible ways to work together. We noticed that we strengthened each other, both personally and professionally. And that there is a demand from SME entrepreneurs for our refreshing approach. That’s why we started together in TheNewTomorrow.
Where do agencies and / or brands still sometimes go wrong when it comes to communication and marketing?
That is a broad question. In any case, what we see is that brands and clients are becoming increasingly critical of agencies and know better what they are looking for. At the same time, the world is becoming increasingly complex and there is a growing need for specialists with in-depth knowledge. The danger is that islands are forming and that work is mainly done from silos that lose sight of the end customer. Both on the client side and on the desk side. In practice you now see on the one hand large, all-in-one agencies and on the other hand specialised agencies that are managed from different disciplines in the organisation. But both types of agency are missing something: either expertise, or overview and strength to translate into concrete results that are in the interest of the end client.
We are the business guides that help brands and clients to maintain an overview, to steer for customer value and to hook up the right expertise for the period in which it is needed. We make connections between the islands in order to continuously offer value to the end customer and to be able to adjust when necessary. And that works.
What are the do’s and don’ts of 2020?
We are just entering a new decade and we believe that it is not about revolution, but evolution. Optimisation is the key to success. So no thick reports and endless PowerPoint presentations, but concrete actions based on clear analysis. For example, many SMEs want to get started with their digital business operations and their connection with their customers, but in practice they don’t know where to start. That makes sense. Entrepreneurs hear and read a lot about digital transformation, but this is a catch-all term we don’t believe in. In practice, it is not about transformation, but about transition: digital is already there. It is all around us in our lives. Digital is the new normal. It is about making optimal use of these possibilities, working together with others and telling an authentic and consistent story about yourself. Getting started with a mindset of trial and error. For example, by using small well-defined pilots to see what works and what doesn’t. If it doesn’t work, you learn and can make adjustments. Successes can be extended and made repeatable and scalable. Don’t attach too much value to all kinds of nice hype terms, but stay close to yourself, your customers and your network. Technology is just a tool, it’s all about human interaction.
What’s the latest news?
Market research shows that consumers are increasingly looking at the core values that a company exudes. If these values suit them, they are more inclined to buy products or services from the company. So as a company you have to work on a strong reputation with a clear story that radiates confidence and attracts the right customers. At the same time, consumers want to be able to arrange everything quickly, easily and preferably on the go, in other words, have a great customer experience. So as an organisation you’re not there with a good reputation, but you have to deliver what you promise. That means making optimal use of technological resources and at the same time continue to communicate in a personal and human way. That combination is today’s challenge.
