How AccuraCast Pivoted Through the Pandemic

Farhad Divecha of AccuraCast tells us how they create solutions across a variety of digital platforms to help businesses reach their target audience. 

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Farhad Divecha: We are all very well, thank you. We are fortunate in that we have been in good health throughout the pandemic. Our business has adapted and grown over the last 12 months, so we count ourselves to be lucky to be in this position. 

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded AccuraCast.

Farhad Divecha: My background is marketing; I have always worked in this industry; I just love how the sector has changed over the last 20 years, and it is constantly evolving – with new technologies and new platforms. I co-founded AccuraCast in 2004; the company is now 17 years old. We are one of the longest-running specialist search and social media marketing agencies in the UK.

How does AccuraCast innovate? 

Farhad Divecha: Innovation and creativity are very important in our industry. We need to constantly come up with new ideas to be competitive in the market. In normal times we would get together and bounce ideas off each other. It has been more challenging having to do this while we have to do business remotely, but we have made it work. We ensure innovation continues even when we’re working through these unusual times by empowering the team to explore new ideas and test new solutions all the time.

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your business finances?

Farhad Divecha: We specialize in four sectors – travel, finance, sports, and B2B. When the pandemic started, two of those sectors – travel and sports – ground to a halt. We were fortunate that our clients in these sectors were willing to adapt to the new circumstances so we could continue to work with them. Overall, we have grown as a business and are looking forward to more growth in 2021. 

Did you have to make difficult choices regarding human resources and what are the lessons learned?

Farhad Divecha: As I mentioned previously, we have grown as a business through the pandemic and are actually looking at opening three new offices over the next 12 months. One opportunity the pandemic did bring by everyone working from home was the fact we built up systems and processes to work remotely, which meant we could widen our talent pool and recruit internationally. We are now able to find the best candidates for the role, regardless of location.

How did your customer relationship management evolve? Do you use any specific tools to be efficient?

Farhad Divecha: We’ve had to adapt to no longer meeting clients, and prospective clients face to face. This has been a challenge; it is so much easier to build a relationship face to face than virtually. We keep in regular contact with our customers through Teams, and we continue to engage with current and prospective customers on their preferred social networks.

Did you benefit from any government grants, and did that help keep your business afloat?

Farhad Divecha: Yes, we’ve been very fortunate to be selected for the Mayor of London’s International Business Programme. This is a real honor for us, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to get support and opportunities to grow our business internationally.

Your final thoughts?

Farhad Divecha: The last 12 months have been challenging as a business owner, but in some ways, they have forced us to be more creative, more innovative, and work harder as a team to deliver the same great results our clients expect of us. The pandemic has also given us opportunities to expand our team with the talent we might not have reached before. We miss working with the team in the office, but everyone at Accuracast is safe, happy, and healthy, and that is the most important thing for us right now. 

Your website?

www.accuracast.com