Looking back, looking forward: "Andy Was Right" Celebrates First Birthday
The digital content newsroom "Andy Was Right" has been around for a year now. Despite the pandemic, the company has grown quickly - and now wants to reveal some of its secrets.
A larger office, a new Website, 20 employees, 28 podcasts, over 1,000 pieces of digital content - and a mysterious number of customers. That is the interim balance after one year of business activity of the digital content newsroom "Andy Was Right". How does that work in the Corona year 2020?
Using the crisis as an opportunity
"We could have easily chosen an easier year to found a start-up," jokes Andy Was Right Managing Director Roger Hämmerli. But in fact, he says, the turbulent situation also created some opportunities. "Our flexible structures allowed us to react quickly and help new clients who needed digital crisis communications," Hämmerli explains. The Andy CEO knows a thing or two about digital crises: During his time as Head of Social Media at Ringier, he had to solve everything from breaking news to international shitstorms. "Watch patron Jean-Claude Biver recently said in a Beyer Chronometrie podcast that crisis must be your friend, not your enemy. We have stuck to this advice since the spring," Hämmerli continued.
From four to twenty
These words reflect a confidence that is also evident in the scaling of the digital content newsroom's staff. Started with four people, Andy Was Right now has twenty young men and women on the payroll. "Growth was our goal. Even though probably none of us would have thought that we would grow so quickly," says Roger Hämmerli. We expanded, especially in the moving image and graphics areas; at some point, the office on Pfingstweidstrasse was too cramped.
For a few months now, Andy Was Right has been residing on Hardstrasse, directly above Watson. Hämmerli smiles: "We couldn't have asked for a better location. If only because we only had to carry the furniture two houses away. But the question remains: Which customers make all this possible? Until now, nothing would have been known about this - because Andy Was Right maintained a strict "no comment" strategy.
"New we talk about certain customers"
The company was founded on the principle of acting as a digital ghostwriter for companies and individuals. That's why the content newsroom - uncharacteristically for the communications industry - didn't talk about customers. "However, we felt the need from various customers that they would like to publicize the cooperation," explains Hämmerli. In the field of film production, he adds, it is customary for production partners to be named anyway. "That's why we decided to communicate a selection of clients and projects on our new website."
Among them are brands like Adidas, Fisherman's Friend or Helvetia. And - appropriately enough - also the watch house Beyer, for which Andy Was Right produced the above-mentioned podcast. "Other customers appreciate the secrecy. We will, of course, continue to offer this to them," says Hämmerli.
What does Andy plan to do in 2021?
"In the coming year, we mainly want to consolidate structures, promote talent and, of course, tell strong stories," explains Andy's CEO. "We're looking forward to working even more closely with our partners, transferring more of our know-how, and hopefully finally inaugurating our beautiful office in a fitting manner." You can follow the realization of these plans via Instagram, LinkedIn and on the web.
