Next up in our profile series of our partner founders in the Brands2Life Global Network is Eric Dragt of En Serio in The Netherlands.
What led you to set up your own agency? The passion to help people – and the companies they work for – using skills, experience, and connections, to make a real difference.
What inspires you each day? How technology can really help make our lives better and easier. The pace it develops at is fascinating and I get to experience and learn about these big innovations by being part of them – both professionally and personally. When the first computer arrived at our house (at the beginning of the 90s), I couldn’t have imagined how the internet would look today, or that I’d drive an electric car that will soon become autonomous. And there’s also a fair chance I’ll take my son out for a trip into space!
What are the common misconceptions around doing comms in your market? That the size of the media landscape is similar to the UK, Germany or France. Both the Dutch and Benelux media landscapes – tech trade and beyond – is a lot smaller, sitting somewhere between the larger European countries and the Nordics.
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in PR since you founded your company? Media are moving away from print into online. And the challenges, changes and experiments by publishers, publications, reporters and influencers that we’ve seen over the past 10-15 years because of that transition.
What would you say is your biggest learning from adapting to working during a global pandemic? There is no such thing as a ‘one size, fits all’ approach or solution to do this. It is all about continuously figuring out what your team and clients need, and these needs are more dynamic than ever.
What work are you most proud of having been involved in for a client? We managed to get our client Colt on national television. This was not only a great achievement from a PR point of view but, years later, the local team kept telling us what a positive impact the TV item had had on their spirits. It made them extremely proud that their family and friends could see and understand what their work entails (which previously might have been complex and challenging to grasp).
What are the three biggest things you’ve learned since founding your agency? Firstly, knowing and articulating a clear position will help filter out noise, and keep your team laser focused. Secondly, that your team is everything. We’re privileged that the majority of our employees have been with us for 5+ years. This makes work really enjoyable. Finally, it’s not about growing the fastest or going after the biggest opportunities. Creating a solid, safe and happy environment with the best team and nicest clients is the key to long-term, sustainable success.
What do you enjoy most about being part of Brands2Life Global? One of our core values is to create relationships that matter. We’ve experienced and live by this in all relationships – with the team, clients, reporters and agencies we partner with. We do our best work when we match with shared values and mindsets. With Brands2Life we immediately felt this connection and synergy that goes way beyond the strengths and success that the agency and the Global Network have.
Name one profile that you follow on social media that really inspires you in your everyday work? Elon Musk. Why? Because I believe he is the Einstein of our era: his ability and willingness to solve major problems is amazing, whilst not limiting his scope to just the contributions of the companies he runs.
En Serio joined the Brands2Life Global Network as a partner in 2021 and shares clients such as Hologic, Amelia (an IPsoft company) and Cradlepoint with the Network.
