Indonesian PR agency Content Collision’s goal is to elevate brand reputations to the next level, and for co-founder Enricko Lukman, this goal is only made possible with a workplace that values transparency, being results-driven, and radical candour.
For Enricko, these values create a workplace that effectively brings out the best in him and his team members, giving an open space for ideas, collaboration, and efficiency.
“I personally believe everyone has immense potential to thrive and that anyone can become great. To harness that potential, it’s important to provide them with a platform to contribute to the company as much as possible,” shared Enricko.
Growing through foundational values
In the process of growing with Content Collision, Enricko believes that transparency is foundational, as team members are given a chance to understand the business aspects such as conditions, including revenues, profits, threats, and opportunities better, so that they can see the big picture and be aware when the good and tough times come, so that there are no surprises.
When it comes to results, the company has also put a unique twist on this, allowing anyone to adjust their work schedule as long as it meets the KPIs. Anyone can work from anywhere, anytime, as long as they get the job done.
Finally, the agency leans towards the approach of radical candour, addressing issues immediately to help the team improve as soon as possible. Enricko mentioned that this applied across the board, so anyone can give immediate feedback to anyone, including himself.
Ensuring connectivity and a work-life balance
In terms of communication, the agency has implemented 100% remote working practices since 2019, even before the pandemic. Enricko said that it is still a rarity in Indonesia, but they realised that letting everyone work everywhere they wanted can help them balance out their working and personal lives.
To stay connected with everyone, the agency uses the Slack platform for general communications and project discussions. They also have bi-weekly online meetings where everyone can catch up with each other, as well as quarterly offline town halls where we discuss plans over lunch at local bistros.
Additionally, Enricko mentioned that they also subsidise team members who want to work from a cafe in case their home situation is not ideal, and that they meet with clients whenever needed, sometimes even working in their office.
Facing industry demand as a startup
As Content Collision still continues to rise within the PR industry, Enricko shared about the challenges with getting leads and figuring out sales. For a while, they were focusing on the Indonesian market and the tech industry. Reaching a point wherein they were busy handling incoming leads and had no time for outbound sales, closing almost 50 different clients at that time.
“Regarding this, we had a chance to think and realised that this is not sustainable and we must increase both of our inbound and outbound efforts. We attended more events, sponsored some, and reached out to new clients outside of our industry focus, while also doubling down on tech,” said Enricko.
“After much trial and error, we succeeded in turning the agency profitable after the money-burning phase. We are also becoming more well-known in the VC world, having worked with prominent Venture Capital companies in Asia through our platform and services,” he added.
Pushing for performance-based PR campaigns
Notably, another unique initiative in Content Collision’s practices is its preference for performance-based PR campaigns, citing that it leads to a fair partnership that delivers consistent results.
Commenting on this, Enricko said, “PR is an art of communication, but we should be able to be more precise when delivering results. With a performance-based PR setup, both clients and agencies can have a fair partnership: clients pay for what they get, and agencies need to deliver to earn more revenue.”
Valuing team members in and out of work
As a leader, Enricko sees that it’s always a good idea to check in with your team members once in a while, to have a casual conversation with them and understand what’s going on in their lives.
“It shouldn’t be all about business. We have the privilege and opportunity to connect with great people, and that is something to cherish. Of course, this approach offers benefits for the business side as well, as it provides a good pulse on what’s happening within the company. You get to understand people’s morale and receive honest feedback. Remember, these individuals might one day become our future clients, partners, or even future bosses,” he concluded.
