TVF has partnered with pharmaceutical clients in North America for many years, and there’s one thing we can confidently report they all have in common: not having enough working hours in the day. Our solution? The 13-hour working day: our unique offering as a UK-based agency.
Turning time zones into an advantage
Working across a global portfolio that stretches from Brussels to Boston is one of the true perks of being part of TVF, not to mention the travel opportunities. But what about when we’re not with our clients in person and must operate across different time zones? Is a long-distance med comms relationship destined for success? Certainly, some prospective US-based clients have held reservations: “I’m used to my agencies being contactable all day”, “Won’t bottlenecks become a problem if I’m not online to answer questions?”
To this, we present: The 13-Hour Day (give or take). And no, we’re not suggesting our clients work around the clock. We’re talking about the working model that accompanies a US-UK partnership. Here in London, we’re already halfway through our day by the time our US-based clients have had their first sip of coffee, and that brings a whole host of benefits.
An extended day without the overtime
Our US clients benefit from the equivalent of a 13-hour working day without the need for their own teams to work overtime.
Picture this: you review an important slide deck at the end of the day, the upcoming conference deadline weighing heavily on your mind. You check your emails the following morning to find the polished version sitting in your inbox for final sign-off. What was, yesterday, a source of angst is now a task accomplished, and your day has only just begun.
Our five-hour head start means we can crack on and get ahead of the curve while our clients are clocked off – a genuine competitive advantage in fast-moving markets.
The perfect balance between focus and collaboration
We make the most of the overlapping hours with our clients for calls and collaboration, and preserve the rest of the day for ‘head-down’ work. Our no-calls UK mornings give us time to focus on deliverables, while our clients in the US enjoy afternoons free of agency calls.
Structuring our days with dedicated blocks for collaboration and delivery has become a real strength of our UK-US partnerships, creating the perfect concoction for effective workflows.
Always within reach
We love the working rhythm that comes with the time difference, and most of the time it works in our clients’ favour too. But we know that crunch periods happen, whether this be an upcoming launch, regional conference, or awareness day campaign. When the pressure’s on, we’ll be right there with our clients, and rest assured our team gets time back in lieu of out-of-hours work.
Face time is all the more valuable
As with any long-distance relationship, we know that nothing replaces time spent together in person. We visit our US-based clients at least once per quarter, always relishing the chance to fly across the pond. We have a permanent office in Boston, meaning there’s a dedicated space for us to connect with our clients and hit the ground running whenever we’re stateside.
We’ve also gained a bit of a reputation among our clients for bringing a carry-on filled with British chocolate to share around, which we can attest tastes far better than any American chocolate (…sorry).
After more than a decade partnering with US clients, we’ve turned time zone differences into a strategic advantage. Smart planning enables us deliver with speed, focus, and flexibility, as our clients regularly testify. If you’d like to learn more about how this model could benefit your team, let’s talk.
By Jess Caines
