We almost can’t believe it, but 2019 is nearly over. The Christmas break has come around in a flash and soon it will be time for us to head home and eat mince pies until we can’t move.
Our offices will be closed for Christmas from 5pm on 20th December 2019 until 9am on 2nd January 2020. If you need urgent assistance, please email xmassupport@icaal.co.uk. (Please note that needing tips because you’re losing at monopoly does not count as urgent!)
However, before we clock off for the year, we wanted to take a moment to look back as some of the wonderful things that have happened in the life of ICAAL over the last 12 months.
Here are our top three highlights of 2019:
Awards
Customer Awards
First and foremost, we care about our customers’ success. We have been thrilled that so many of the companies that use us for their digital marketing have won awards in 2019. Most recently, our partners Deceuninck, Sternfenster and Ultraframe took home prizes at the G19 awards. Seeing Deceuninck win their third award in a row and Sternfenster win their first ever award was a definite highlight for us!
We have also proudly cheered on our customers over the rest of the year when they have won various accolades and awards.
It’s always a thrill to see our clients do well because helping our partners succeed is our main goal. We win when our customers win.
Award-Winning Digital Marketing Agency
We don’t usually put ourselves up for awards. You may ask why, and the answer is not because we’re a shy and retiring bunch (if you visit our Southampton headquarters, you’ll realise pretty quickly that we love a chat!).
In actual fact, we don’t submit ourselves for awards often because we’re so focused on producing results that help our customers succeed.
Having said that, it was an honour to be listed in the Top 3 Website Developers in Southampton for the third year running! We’re very proud that we’re building a reputation for consistent excellence.
Corporate Social Responsibility
ICAAL Academy
Over the course of 2019, we have worked hard to develop and grow the ICAAL Academy. This is our programme for offering valuable work experience to talented young individuals.
We have offered placements for SEO, Content, Graphic Design and Web Development. We are keen to give opportunities to young up-and-comers who need to be given a chance.
Apprenticeship
In October of this year, we took on the very first ICAAL apprentice. We strongly believe in the good of apprenticeship schemes, and so we couldn’t wait to get involved.
Our wonderful apprentice Ellie has been a fantastic addition to the office and has thrown herself into every task. It’s going to be great to see how she progresses over 2020.
Charity Involvement
We love helping those in need. It’s not just a responsibility or a chore to us, it’s something we actively look to do.
Over 2019 we have helped raise hundreds of pounds for various charities, through our events and sponsoring other people in their ventures.
Some of the charitable causes we have helped this year include: Children In Need, Prostate Cancer UK, Victim Support, Save The Children and the Kashmir Emergency Appeal.
Investment and Growth
Investment
Here at ICAAL, we are always looking to improve progress. That is why we have committed to investing in people, technology and equipment over 2019, to enable us to reach higher heights.
In the past year, we have invested around a quarter of a million pounds into pushing the company forwards. This money has gone into hiring more staff to meet the increasing demand for our work, as well as into acquiring a brand new office space! Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement about our new location in January.
Not only do we invest in people, but we want to equip our staff to be the best they can be. That is why we partner with companies like Google, Bing and Hootsuite. Our teams are frequently achieving Google certifications and we often run product training sessions to ensure we know what we’re talking about.
Growth
In terms of growth, this year has been fantastic for ICAAL; we’ve welcomed 15 new members of staff and taken on more clients and projects than ever before.
In fact, our consistent growth is one of the main reasons why we need to move to a new space; we’re simply running out of desks!
Despite the challenging economic climate at the moment and selling our lead generation sector Cloudglaze, we continue to be up year on year. We’re aiming for even higher in 2020.
We’ve had a great year and we’re excited for the next one. Merry Christmas from all of us at ICAAL, see you on the 2nd January 2020!
