We belong together

Martin Bewick, senior content strategist, reflects on the process that is under way to create a new brand for CPL and CenturyOne.

When CPL and CenturyOne announced last July that we were combining to form CPL One Group, we already knew we shared similar philosophies. 

One key foundation for the group is that people are at the heart of our work.

Now, as CPL One Group moves towards the creation of a new brand for CPL and CenturyOne, we have started to explore how people who work here feel connected with, and part of, this freshly joined-up and expanded content marketing agency. 

What does it mean to work together as part of CPL One Group? What might be the shared sense of belonging that connects us all? And what does belonging mean to our clients – and their own customers and audiences?

These may seem rather philosophical questions, but understanding each other’s attitudes, motivations, aspirations and goals really does help us build that sense of togetherness and provide a platform for growth and success. 

With that in mind, we began a journey of discovery, inviting teams from the CPL office in Cambridge, and the CenturyOne and Cabbells office in St Albans, to a series of workshops where we could hear from each other and find out about the varied needs of the clients for which we create work.

Yes, there were trust and team-building exercises. Yes, there was some robust debate with a ‘no wrong answers’ policy. And yes, of course, there were plenty of Post-it notes.

Insights from the workshops will feed into the next stages of the branding process. But one thing is immediately and encouragingly clear: we really do share a sense of purpose – to put people first, and to help people belong.