“So, Lafan does that too?”
There is a mixture of frustration and excitement in hearing people ask, “What exactly is Lafan?” or remark, “I didn’t realise you did that as well...”
It's exciting because it highlights the countless opportunities that lie ahead for us as a company. At the same time, it can be frustrating to realise that many people still don't fully understand what we do, when they could potentially be working with us and benefiting from that relationship.
One of the main reasons we decided to exhibit at the Anglesey Show this year was to tackle exactly that challenge. And yes, as expected, we heard those very questions many times throughout the event.
The experience reminded me just how busy people's lives have become. We are all bombarded with messages, information and competing demands from every direction, every single day. It also reinforces the scale of the challenge involved in building and growing a brand, not only in terms of recognition but also in helping people understand what an organisation actually does.
It also brings to mind the well-known marketing principle that people often need to hear something several times before the message truly lands.
So, in the spirit of repetition, here are three facts about Lafan.
We are a multidisciplinary private-sector consultancy
Lafan works across a range of sectors including Communities, Education, Marketing and Communications, Research and Evaluation, Agriculture, Environment, and Business Development Programmes. Each area is led by an experienced Lead Consultant, and our shared ambition is simple: to strengthen the economy and improve quality of life in the communities we are part of.
We provide a remarkably broad range of services
Our work includes community consultation and engagement, scoping studies, resource development, programme delivery, marketing and promotion, event management, research, facilitation, project development and planning, behaviour change, policy development and review, study visits, evaluation, new product development, knowledge transfer, project management, innovation delivery, presentations, training, learning community support and interpretation.
Yes, it's a long list.
Often the best place to start is simply a conversation
My top tip is to pick up the phone or send us a message and tell us what you're trying to achieve.
If we can add value, then it would be great to collaborate.
And if we can't, there's a very good chance we know someone who can.
To make matters even more interesting, we're used to speaking with people who aren't entirely sure what they need in the first place. They may have a clear sense of what success looks and feels like, but they're less certain about how to get there.
That's perfectly normal.
In fact, we have considerable experience of stepping onto that bus with a client, travelling through the fog together, and helping to navigate the journey until the route becomes clearer and it is time to move forward with confidence.
And perhaps that's the best explanation of one of our favourite slogans at Lafan – “Gwireddu gyda’n gilydd – Together, we can make it happen.”