In 2022 we’re celebrating 20 years of Pure. As part of that, we’ve been chatting to some of our partners, clients and former jobseekers to get the lowdown on what it’s really like to work with us. In this article, it’s the turn of Fluent, a digital product development agency who look after our applications, website and various systems. We’ve been working together since 2012 when they helped build us a mobile site and content management system. It’s a close working relationship in more ways than one – we’re actually next-door neighbours in Histon, Cambridgeshire.

We chatted with Ben Manning, Project Manager, and Wesley Cole, Operations Director, about their relationship with us and why it works so well. Oh, and duck rescuing (yes, you did read that right).

A relationship built on trust

‘We work with Pure to solve complex challenges,’ Wes tells us. ‘We might not have an immediate solution, but that’s the beauty of our partnership – we’re at our best when we can use our skills and expertise to problem solve.’ A lot of this is down to how much we trust Fluent to solve these challenges. ‘Over time we’ve built a deep understanding about how Pure operates and their customers,’ Wes continues. ‘So we know how to work together to create amazing customer experiences.’

Fluent also appreciate the variety of work they get from us. ‘Pure have a range of technologies that we work on,’ Wes says. ‘This gives us lots of opportunities for collaboration and to add more skills to our repertoire.’

‘We’ve spent time learning what really makes Pure tick,’ adds Ben. ‘Our partnership is based on talking about issues, then coming up with practical ideas and solutions to solve challenges. It works so well, that these days it actually feels more like we’re all part of the same team.’

A cultural fit

Pure and Fluent share similar working cultures based on innovation and expertise. ‘You understand where our expertise fits in,’ says Ben. ‘Nadia, Pure’s IT manager and our main contact, has enough confidence in us that we never feel micromanaged.’

We also have a relationship of openness, which is critical for success. When Fluent redesigned the Pure Executive website earlier this year, the first round of designs didn’t quite hit the mark. But our relationship meant we could have an honest and open conversation about how to make it right (which Fluent definitely did the second time around).

‘Some organisations get scared of things going wrong,’ says Ben. ‘But Pure give us the support we need to experiment and find the right solutions. We thrive on working with clients like this who let us take different directions and make mistakes on the way to finding the best result.’

A two-way street

It’s not just about what Fluent can do for us either. When it’s time to recruit for new staff, they always come to us. They’ve also spent time with our technology recruiters to work out what good developer and tech people look like, and the different skills organisations need in their teams. ‘We’ve also run technology workshops to help Pure’s consultants really understand the platforms and technology skills that businesses need,’ Ben tells us.

Quacking memories

Being neighbours with Fluent definitely helps with our close working relationship, but not always in the way you’d expect. ‘I don’t think we’ll ever beat the time we worked with Pure to rescue a duck family from danger on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway,’ Wes remembers. ‘We all watched as a duck and her ducklings walked past our offices and through the fence onto the busway. Then alongside Pure’s team we leapt into action, stopping buses and escorting the family to safety.’

One word to describe Pure

‘We actually did this exercise for your 15^th birthday,’ says Wes. ‘After some reflection, we’ve decided that our decision then still stands – even if it is three words, rather than one.’ Watch this video to find out what those three words are (clue: they’re probably not what you think).

Partners like Fluent are one of the many things that have made Pure the company we are today, and contributed to 20 very successful years. We’re looking forward to many more years of working with them (and we’re always ready for another duck rescue mission).