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Firas Mghames, Managing Director of Beirut-based hybrid agency, Feer McQueen, explains how his team responded to tough times investing their strong reserves in strengthening the agency's competitive position in the market, and how the crisis helped them aggressively speed up and expand their digitization strategies. Mghames believes that a growth mindset will be crucial for employees of the future, especially as work continues to move online and not many agencies will be able to to sustain their newfound agility.

Overall feeling
COVID-19 came as a sudden shock to the world, especially our country that was already facing major unrest. It was daunting, not knowing what this virus was, nor where it would take the world. Nothing is certain still today, but we do our best to get along with the cards we're dealt, and it's always important to remember that we're all going through this on a global level, especially the hardworking team at Feer McQueen who are in it together, through thick and thin. We've also made sure to reflect this solidarity and sense of compassion with our clients during these uncertain times, as we have always believed we are partners in everything we do. Our aim now is to support business continuity and stand by all of our clients, no matter what, to ensure the beat goes on despite the turmoil.
 
What's next?
With the reality of COVID-19 hitting the globe like a freight train and turning everything upside down suddenly, things were bound to get warped. The fast track of the digital transformation of the creative world, which I believe all agencies were on already, turned into an accelerated race to provide stability and continuity. Today, engaging brands in Ecommerce, which once took a backseat, is no longer just an option. Brands have to create their platforms online to reach their customers who are also locked down at home.
For us at Feer McQueen, we believe this digital transformation has accelerated our growth, with us already being a very digital savvy agency with all the tools and skills to work under such conditions and help our clients dive head first into the digital realm, even more so than before.
 

"Some agencies won't survive this, no matter how big they are. Not because of this crisis in particular, but because of the acceleration of the digital transformation and their inability to keep up."
 

Working with Clients
Business has been booming actually. Once we settled into what everyone is calling “the new normal”, we streamlined our systems and coordinated between our team members to ensure top quality work, regardless of the global pandemic we were facing. We trudged on, not missing even one day of work. At Feer McQueen, it was refreshing to see everyone on deck and giving their all. With all of our team members considering themselves partners in our work and with our clients, things were as smooth as can be. Working from home, which was once a taboo, has now become part of this reality. It is something interesting and can be considered in the future, even after things slowly get back to normal.
 
Future of the industry
Let’s face it, advertising and marketing will always be a thing. There will always be someone wanting to get their brand out there.
The reality is though, that some agencies won't survive this, no matter how big they are. Not because of this crisis in particular, but because of the acceleration of the digital transformation and their inability to keep up, be it due to their outdated offerings, or their traditional mindset.
Being resilient in the face of anything that goes on, be it an economic crisis, or a global pandemic, is key to flexibility and agility, especially in our beloved country. You have to always be on top of the game, forward thinking, and seeking new frontiers in all aspects of your agency. As we put it at Feer McQueen, "The future is here, and we're already there."