Earlier this year, Expliciet received its fifth consecutive nomination as a Trends Gazelle. A unique achievement in Limburg: “It’s great to hear that we are the first Limburg-based marketing agency to receive this nomination five years in a row. This is wonderful recognition for our team’s hard work,” say managing directors Jan Martens and Maarten Princen.
Gazelles are fast-growing companies selected annually by Trends Magazine based on their added value and positive influence on the business climate.
“We have been organizing the Trends Gazelles for 22 years, selecting the approximately 2,500 fastest-growing companies in Belgium each year. It is certainly not common for a company to be nominated as a Trends Gazelle five years in a row,” according to the organization.
Over the years, 1,377 companies have become Gazelles five years in a row (2.5%). Nationally, in those 22 years, only four communication agencies have received this honor. Of these, Expliciet is the only one from Limburg in the Advertising Agencies category as defined by Trends. This places Expliciet in a list of renowned agencies.
Maarten: “That recognition is not a goal in itself for us. In recent years, we have worked hard to build a strong team that provides companies with maximum peace of mind regarding their marketing. This requires various in-house expertises, which automatically leads to strong growth. Of course we are proud of it, but we had no idea how unique this was. That makes it extra special.”
Jan: “The recipe behind our growth? It’s not that straightforward. Although I think that continuous investment is the key for us. In recent years, we have focused heavily on constantly improving our services, broadening our range, and providing high-level training for our internal marketing experts.”
Maarten: “Precisely because of these initiatives, we are attracting increasingly larger clients, both nationally and internationally. And those clients, in turn, challenge us as an agency to raise the bar in terms of knowledge and service.”
“Investing in human capital is the essence for us: a fun working environment, freedom in job descriptions, and a strong and flexible salary policy. This has ensured that, despite the labor shortage, we have been able to attract new employees relatively easily and thus realize our growth.”
“As an agency, it is important that you keep evolving. The marketing world has changed significantly in ten years. Where the marketer in a company used to work more from an island, they are now more connected than ever with other divisions: sales, HR, operations, etc.”
“This means you have to be able to advise more broadly than just on communication. As an agency today, you should also be well-versed in CRM software, sales strategy, employee engagement, and much more. The issues are also becoming increasingly complex. Marketing is more and more a combination of different specializations.”
Jan: “The time when marketing was limited to merely creating a brochure is long behind us. To help clients grow in a sustainable way, we really have to immerse ourselves in their business case. That is what we have specialized in. Fully understanding what our clients do and how their market works. Only then can we ensure that they stand out and achieve their growth ambitions.”