Perth Agency Celebrates 21 Years of Marketing and Comms Excellence

Perth headquartered independent marketing agency, Cunningly Good Group, has reached a milestone of twenty-one years in business this month, and has reaffirmed its position as one of Scotland’s leading independent communications agencies by once again achieving the Communications Management Standard (CMS), an industry accreditation it has held since 2018.

Founder and MD Tricia Fox started the multi award winning blended agency in September 2002 in her spare bedroom, armed with a laptop and mobile phone, with the vision of developing a truly integrated agency offering to become one of the top UK independent marketing and comms agencies. Twenty-one years later, with a team of skilled professionals, the agency offers clients a strategic one stop shop spanning the full marketing discipline and has worked with some of Scotland’s best-known brands including The Enchanted Forest, Scone Palace, and HMS Unicorn.

The agency was declared by The Drum in 2022 as one of the UK’s top independent agencies and, for the sixth time since 2015, has been shortlisted for Small PR Consultancy of the Year for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Scotland Awards, an accolade it received a Gold Award for in 2021 and Silver Awards in 2020 and 2018.

The Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation is independently audited and awarded by the industry’s professional body the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) for companies which demonstrate operational excellence. The industry standard benchmark, which has been achieved by only three other agencies headquartered in Scotland, is valid for a year, and combines elements of ‘ISO9001’ and ‘Investors in People’ with criteria specific to a communications consultancy. Consultancies are scored on nine core areas including leadership and communication, business planning, business improvement, financial management and systems, campaign management, client satisfaction, new business, people management and diversity.

To achieve the accreditation an independent audit was undertaken to prove systems were in place that would ensure the effective planning and measurement of all programme work in the agency.

Carol Magill, CMS Assessor at PRCA said: “Cunningly Good Group’s third CMS audit encompassed three key areas: client satisfaction, financial management, and business improvement, specifically through benchmarking. In terms of financial management, the audit revealed a meticulous approach to tracking profitability, employing a process that diligently monitors various targets. On the client satisfaction front, the organisation displayed continuous engagement with clients, actively seeking solutions when issues arise, which aligns with best practices. Furthermore, they promote successes and positive client feedback within their team. Regarding benchmarking, Cunningly Good utilises the PRCA survey to assess their performance across multiple areas, and they have implemented changes to their business operations, particularly in HR, as a result of these findings. In sum, this CMS audit response underscores Cunningly Good Group’s unwavering commitment to adhering to the highest standards of PRCA practices.”

Tricia Fox, founder and CEO of Cunningly Good Group, commented: “The last 21 years have been quite a journey. I’m not sure I could have ever imagined the full extent of what my career to date has involved. From palaces and castles, distilleries and breweries, Cunningly Good Group has been at the forefront of some of the most major technological changes to our industry over those 21 years. That’s before I even consider the challenges thrown up by several recessions and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s with the same grit, determination and passion that we have always navigated our way through the challenges, and striven to deliver our very best. Passing our re-accreditation for the Communications Management Standard this year is particularly satisfying and a nod to the quality and flexibility of our systems and processes to adjust to ever more modern ways of working.”

Cunningly Good Group’s highly skilled experienced team is the only CMS accredited agency operating in Tayside as well as the only agency with two qualified CIPR Chartered PR practitioners, the highest level of professional accreditation in public relations in the world.