Why core values are important when crafting great stories

Story by Bjorn UNNERSAKER, CEO at NARD

How can you make an impact on the world around you?
Oslo-based NARD, one of the fastest growing inbound marketing companies Norway, is all about creating great stories for our clients. We also make sure these stories reach the right audience. Many of our clients are value-driven companies like Compello, Siteimprove and Accenture. NARD is a start-up company. However, we won’t accept any clients that are contrary to our core values.
These stories have raised awareness in Norway about topics such as digital accessibility (if your digital user experience isn’t great for everyone, you’ll miss 20% of the market), diversity (the need to recruit women and people with disabilities in IT), real work (how do you define it?
We have a presentation in our office with quotes from clients who are happy with the work we’ve done. Everyone loves a compliment. However, we have a culture that encourages us to share the compliments we receive as a team. When our clients tell us how grateful they are for our services or when we share a great story in media that changes people’s perceptions (we also do PR), those are the days that I feel we’ve done some Real Work.
I usually attend at least one client meeting and would be involved with some sales and project management. I plan my workday the night prior, but I am always surprised by unexpected changes at work. How ActiveCollab fits into your day?
ActiveCollab allows us to log our hours, whether we are doing billable or non-billable work. It provides us with great insight into the cost of each sale and the time spent on internal stuff. It also ensures that we spend enough time with each client. It also teaches me how to multitask. I’ll think: “I’ve set aside my next hour for Accenture. I won’t do anything unrelated to them. People who think they can work on multiple projects simultaneously are wrong. This is a fact. They can track their time to confirm it. 😉