Apr 22

Apr 22 Meet Natalie Luke, founder of Aduro Communications

I started my career in public relations fresh out of university at Shine Communications where I spent the lionshare of my career. Shine was a hotbed of entrepreneurial spirit driven by the founder Rachel Bell, one of the most prolific entrepreneurs in our sector and as my mentor she gave me the confidence and support I needed to branch out and start my own agency, Aduro Communications, seven years ago. I founded Aduro to produce industry awarded, best in class work that delivers commercial results whilst having the balance of flexible working as I was also raising a young family of my own. We now work with clients who can be found in every aisle in the supermarket and on any high street across the UK, from major national and global brands to challenger start-ups across seven different consumer sectors.

We are one of the most successful independent consumer communications agencies in the UK delivering award winning work for global brands like P&G, Whole Foods Market and Hain Daniels alongside entrepreneurial start-ups like baby food brand Little Freddie and much loved iconic British staples like Mr Men. We deliver creative campaigns from scratch, content that covers digital, on-brand visuals, print ads and websites across paid, earned and owned media as well as PR that is grounded in commercial effectiveness.

How did you secure your first client?

Through word of mouth. 80% of our business growth every year comes from recommendations from existing client relationships

Being a young entrepreneur – what do you enjoy the most about running your own business?

The flexibility it offers me to create my own balance of focus across family life, client relationships and supporting my staff. Being my own boss is definitely tougher than working into someone else!

What is the most exciting business decision you’ve made so far?

Taking on our own office space last year after sharing since we started six years ago. It added an additional layer of ownership and empowerment for staff and helped propel us to the next level.

How do you believe the evolution of tech will affect your industry over the next 10 years?

The Covid-19 crisis has seen the virtual pitching model explode and we think the use of tech like Microsoft Teams and Zoom will continue. It’s been a real ice breaker to be doing video calls with clients from their kitchens/ bedrooms, and the depth of connection you build as you get that ‘through the keyhole’ moment we have found to be a real asset in the pitch process. During a pitch the other day the clients two little boys came and sat on his knee and you realise that before, families/life out of work would never have been raised at that stage in the process and it really does help break down barriers and make everyone take note that we all have a lot more going on in our worlds than just what people see at desk or in a meeting room.

Any moments where you thought you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?

Absolutely, but it is the thrill of the challenge that drives me forwards. On more than one occasion I have thought ‘I have actually never done this before’ but igniting the team to come together and believe that we can achieve bigger things as an agency inspires us to give anything a go.

What advice would you give to young budding entrepreneurs?

Get a great mentor, someone who has worked in your sector and has a wealth of experience they can support you with.

What plans do you have for Aduro Communications?

Never worrying about being the biggest and constantly striving to be the best.

I founded the award winning Aduro in 2012 and it has since grown to be one of the most successful independent consumer agencies in the UK delivering award winning work for global brands like P&G, Whole Foods Market and Hain Daniels. We have built our reputation on being a team who prides itself on three key brand pillars: Creative, Tenacious & Effective; a team that delivers on every promise made without exception and delivers on commercial results every time.