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‘Twenty years ago, I founded this company….
This month, we are celebrating two decades of Stro’berry.
Two decades, 20 years or 7300 days of dedication to providing creative solutions for brands with unique identities…
When I started this agency, I had no idea that I was founding something…
I certainly did not imagine it was the beginning of an entity that would become the primary focus of my professional life.
But “from a small seed, a might trunk may grow…”
It feels like a dream ago that I was a young woman brainstorming company names in a makeshift office... Yet today, we are achieving an important milestone, through all the changes the industry has witnessed, surviving and thriving through economic fluctuations, a global pandemic and countless other challenges. I am both greatly humbled and immensely thankful.
I could not feel more proud of everything the Stro’berry Advertising family has become and accomplished as a team, and for the clients we have passionately served over the last two decades.
To the coming milestones and challenges, we’re ready for you and we look forward to forge ahead, as we always have, with determination and passion…
Flipping the page to a new decade.’
Faten Attar, founder and CEO of independent Beirut-based Stro’berry agency, shares insights on the agency's performance in 2022 and her team’s journey in the midst of a challenging environment.
To continue functioning in a country where nothing functions is in itself a miracle. How “good” was the year 2022 for your agency?
Needless to say, the ad industry overall is at a turning point, and this has been the case for some time now. There are various challenges to operating within the country ecosystem and this is noticeable in our day-to-day operations, from the type of resources to the additional services required.
Every agency has its own approach to the existing challenges; however, from what we can see, many advertisers are starting to realize the greater value that ‘advertising’ brings to the table and they have a genuine desire to drive change in their community.
At Stro’berry, our portfolio includes both local and regional clients, and we have managed to find the right balance in servicing both. We have supported a significant number of local clients in the F&B sector, some investors building their own brands, and various startups in diversified industries. Overall, the year 2022 was good and it helped us reframe our expertise, focus on our product and optimize our work methodology.
What kind of efforts have you deployed all through the year that helped keep your business alive and stay inspired in an environment that doesn’t help creative inspiration to flow naturally?
Although we are at the heart of the Beirut hub and buzz and have been involved or directly affected by all the current events, Stro’berry has succeeded in creating an internal environment that defies geography and builds a bubble of creation and innovation… Within our headquarters, all ideas are welcome and there are no boxes or parameters that limit our creativity.
Aside from focusing on the passion and drive each project awakens in us, creating a happy and healthy work environment has been a key component in our success. It is also safe to say that we are in a state of constant organizational change because adaptability is vital to survival and routine does not support growth.
In brief, we believe that in small havens, big visions are born.
“Stro’berry has succeeded in creating an internal environment that defies geography and builds a bubble of creation and innovation.”
Clients have become very smart with whom they work and where they place their advertising. Where does “new business” typically come from today?
This year, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary, and we can safely say that, as an agency, we have come a long way. We have witnessed the ups and downs of the industry coupled with the ever-growing challenges of our country. We have gone from a boutique branding agency to a full-fledged organization, delivering communication solutions across the marketing spectrum, and servicing clients across the region.
At Stro’berry, our services are tailored to our clients’ needs and our commitment to them is unwavering regardless of their magnitude. We connect to brands and clients alike, creating faith and lasting relationships. We are known to create deep connections based on belief and surely this special relationship is based on an emotional bond with their products and the value of their brand.
Because of this, new business opportunities arise every day. Some clients are expanding beyond borders and are widening their offering, others are shifting their business model to e-commerce and a few fearless ones are back in business or launching new concepts. More clients locally and regionally are trusting us with their visions and relying on us for better communication, engagement and/or branding.
You just need to be there at the right time, with the right creative solution!
Many network agencies and even smaller local ones currently service the Arab region from their Beirut offices. Do you think that companies in the Gulf are taking advantage of the low-priced local creative services?
Servicing the region out of Beirut has always been an option for Lebanese agencies. The pandemic and its post effect have only reinforced the practice of remote work. The crisis however, has deeply affected work conditions for many of our local talents, who are forced to seek opportunities abroad today more than ever.
Some regional companies may find the Lebanese agencies attractive due to the lower pricing of their services, but most still appreciate the quality of the work delivered here and understand that in order to preserve this quality, compensation needs to be fair.
How do you make sure that your agency is still attracting brilliant people when obviously the salaries and conditions are not exactly very conductive to optimal working?
At Stro’berry, we work hard to create a winning culture that will attract and retain top talent. Once hired, we believe in investing in our team, not only to provide them with the right incentive but also to upskill them, offering them opportunities to learn, grow and take on bigger ventures.
Is there any hope to one day see Lebanon regain its title as the creative hub of the Middle East? And what’s needed for Lebanese adland to thrive again?
You can only survive and progress in Lebanon if you have continuous hope. It is part of our DNA and it is fully integrated within our culture. So in theory, I am positive about regaining the creative hub title.
Having said that, we need to be realistic and take the ever-changing landscape into consideration. First, agencies need to continue to expand their reach and find innovative ways to survive the internal hardships, making ourselves relevant in a fast-paced world and looking towards the region and the globe for additional revenue. Second, and despite the hardship, we need to find talents that will bring us to the next level and create a community of fresh, young perspectives with an ongoing buzz.
In this context, one thing is certain; the hub of yesterday is not the same as the hub of tomorrow. The best we can do is be ready because “luck is when opportunity meets preparation!”
