People connect with people. In a digitally transformed world, it’s become even more important for marketing and communication agencies to create powerful stories that form real connections.
For more than 25 years, HWB Communications has understood this and has continued to evolve the way it works to evolve its services and approach to ensure that brands remain relevant in an ever-changing market.
To reflect its evolution as an agency, HWB Communications has transformed to become Alkemi Collective.
According to Bradly Howland, CEO of Alkemi Collective, storytelling has remained the bedrock of the agency. “When HWB Communications started in the late 90's it offered a traditional PR and media relations service to its clients. As things have changed, so have we. Today, creating impactful narratives that resonate with people has meant we’ve had to do so much more. We believe our new brand reflects this truth.”
Howland explains that the rebrand is more than just a name change, and that the agency has completely transformed itself to meet the changing market and client needs head-on. “As a fully integrated marketing agency, we’ve become a plug-and-play marketing team to support brands and help them tell their stories to the people that matter to them most.”
Appointed in March 2022, Howland has been focused on a strong turnaround strategy for the business to ensure that it recovers from its pandemic losses and grows into one of the country's leading agencies for marketing, communications, digital and creative services.
As part of these efforts, the agency concluded an M&A deal at the end of 2022 with Breakout Marketing & Communications that allowed it to grow its team of specialists and establish a JHB office.
“In today’s ever-shifting business landscape, Alkemi Collective stands as a beacon of transformation, where ethics and innovation merge. We're not just telling stories; we're fostering connections, influencing change and creating a lasting impact for the brands we work with. I stand committed to driving this vision forward, ensuring we not only adapt to change but become the catalysts for it, championing a new era of communications grounded in authenticity, inclusivity, and transformative action,” says Deputy CEO and former Breakout Director, Kgadi Mpobane,
“We’ve digitised our business and improved our systems, we’ve grown our team, adding new skills to the agency, and we’ve redefined our values and culture,” adds Howland.
More than just transforming how it supports its clients, Howland understood that the agency needed to reinvest in its team and find new ways to continually celebrate the value that they bring. From leadership development, regular mentoring and training, and the introduction of more benefits including menstrual leave for all female employees, Alkemi has been committed to transforming its culture just as much as it does to transform the brands it works with.
The collective efforts have meant that the agency has grown from 12 to 23 full-time team members over the last year.
“As we grow, we’ve learned that we can’t do and be everything for everyone. It’s why we’ve been on a mission to find the right industry partners to collaborate with. Doing so has allowed us to expand our services to clients and increase revenue channels,” he explains.
Elaborating on the choice of the new name, Howland says modern, contemporary alchemy is the process of transforming conditions for the better, changing one thing into another, taking something ordinary and elevating it into something extraordinary.
“ True transformation takes guts, says Howland. “It is also what we do best. With a bit of science and a dash of magic, we are transforming our organisation, our people, our clients, and their brands.”
Find more information at www.alkemi.global
