Client Relations Matter; Moving Closer to Get Better.
How opening a U.S. office is helping us solidify our client relationships.
Earlier this year, my wife and I packed up our home in the Netherlands, and embarked on a journey across the Atlantic to Chicago. Here, a new adventure, both personal — and as the managing director of the CLEVER°FRANKE Chicago office — professional, has begun.
The challenge; servicing our U.S. clients even better, and expanding our footprint.
After being the UX Director at one the largest, and fastest growing e-commerce companies in the Netherlands, taking up the reigns as Managing Director of a new office, in a new market, is an exciting challenge. And I certainly have my work cut out for me.
Why open an office in the United States?
CLEVER°FRANKE celebrated its 10th anniversary this year as a data design agency. Over the years, as the importance of data across industries has grown, so too has our clientele and business in the U.S.
Our client relationships are something we prize. The complex and strategic nature of our projects, calls for close collaboration. Being in a position to swiftly and personally cater to them is a service we place great value on. Moving closer to our clients was not only the obvious decision, but a commitment to them to continue to deliver the best quality solutions.
I joined CLEVER°FRANKE in 2017, but I have known the company, and the team for much longer. When I worked at User Intelligence a couple of years ago, we would collaborate with CLEVER°FRANKE on a regular basis. That is how I got to know the team: smart, fun to work with, and always willing to push the envelope.
When asked to not only join CLEVER°FRANKE, but also to lead the Chicago office, I did not have to think long.
What does the U.S. market have to offer?
There are very few data design agencies around the world today. As companies are becoming increasingly reliant on data driven and digital products, the need for relevant solutions has become even greater, while the gap in the market widens between companies that are able to lead and those that are slow to adopt. There are numerous organizations here that are preparing for, or see the need to take their digital transformation to the next level. This is where we excel.
Apart from that, it grants us an exceptional opportunity to leverage from our experience with European clients, and learn from the unique use cases, contexts and innovations in the U.S. market. Being in the thick of it will help hone our craft, and services.
What makes CLEVER°FRANKE unique in the United states?
Once again, our approach plays a significant role in our unique offering. We’re focused on creating meaningful tailored solutions. Many of our clients don’t need out-of-the-box solutions, but rather, a more nuanced, personalized, localized, and contextual solution to their challenges. Every company puts their data to use in different ways. We help our clients find what’s relevant to their particular audience and leverage it to give them an advantage and unique proposition over that of their competitors.
Given our experience in the data design and data driven space, and across multiple domains, we’re in a privileged position to provide solutions that truly drive change for our clients. We bring our European heritage of design, and combine it with U.S. tech innovations so we can apply it to complex challenges with unique outcomes as a result. Our clients recognize the importance of data, financial and otherwise, we share common values in excellence, quality, and a commitment to deliver world class solutions.
To put things in perspective, Lake Michigan is larger than the entire country of the Netherlands. So, things are really on a different scale here.
Why settle in Chicago?
There were a number of reasons for us to pick Chicago for our U.S. office. For one thing, the Midwest attitude is similar to that of the Netherlands. The people share the same openness, and outlook that sits well with our Dutch way of working. It also has the most diverse economy in the U.S., with many companies having established their corporate headquarters here, and a strong, growing Tech ecosystem with spaces like 1871, and startups like Tempus and Arity. As a bonus, there’s a comfortable overlap in the time zone with the Netherlands that eases close collaboration between the offices.
Overall, it is just a unique, and dynamic city with a strong heritage in innovation. If you’re ever around, drop by for a coffee to discuss your challenges and exchange ideas.
The one thing almost everybody who I have told I am new to Chicago mentions is “The Winter”. It has almost become this mythical creature that lies somewhere just beyond the horizon. We’ve bought some more layers of warm clothing and I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
I must admit, it was a shock to see the temperature drop from about 84°F to 35°F in the space of a week.
Originally, I started out as an Aerospace Engineer. However, after working in the field for a couple of years, I felt a need to head in a more creative direction. So, I created a portfolio and got my first job as a web designer. Combining my technical background with creativity gave me a unique skill set that I have been using ever since.
From there I have worked as a designer and strategist under different guises. Working as a design lead on projects for companies like KLM, Philips, and Heineken, and later as User Experience Director at Coolblue. And now, building up our office in Chicago.
