A Swindon creative agency has been shortlisted for an international award recognising businesses that put their employees and customers at the centre of how they operate.
GEL Studios has been named among the finalists for the Haier Zero Distance Excellence (ZeroDX) Awards, with the winners due to be announced at an event later this year.
The awards are run in partnership with the Haier Model Institute and Business Ecosystem Alliance and recognise organisations applying the principles of “Zero Distance” – an approach aimed at bringing the people doing the work closer to the customers they serve.
GEL Studios has been recognised alongside organisations from around the world, including Mercedes-Benz, for its approach to running a purpose-led creative agency.
The Swindon company has developed its working model following collaboration with Simon Reindl, CEO of Advanced Product Delivery. Rather than relying on a traditional management structure, GEL encourages direct involvement with clients across the whole team and operates through self-managing teams.
The aim is to give employees greater responsibility for their work while creating a more direct relationship between the agency and its clients.
According to GEL, the approach has contributed to strong staff retention, high levels of client satisfaction and a more efficient way of working, while also allowing the company to maintain a focus on its impact in the local community.
Founder and Managing Director Graeme Leighfield said the nomination was recognition of an approach that had been developed specifically around the needs of the agency’s staff and clients.
“When we set GEL Studios up, the plan was never to copy a textbook model, it was to build something that made sense for our team and our clients,” he said.
“Seeing that recognised alongside organisations from right across the world is a proud moment for everyone here.”
Simon Reindl said GEL had developed an organisation that reflected the principles behind the awards.
“They have intuitively developed an organisation that lives the principles of Ren Dan Hey Yi,” he said.
“The connected way they work with their customers and partners is an outstanding example of how working collaboratively helps the organisation, their clients, and the customer in a win-win-win partnership.”
The ZeroDX Awards aim to highlight businesses that challenge conventional approaches to management and put greater emphasis on relationships between employees, customers and partners.
For GEL Studios, the shortlist provides international recognition for a business model developed in Swindon and its approach to combining commercial growth with employee involvement and client relationships.
