Posted: 31.07.22
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LCA!
London Communications Agency turned 23 this month. Our Chief Executive Jonny Popper reflects on how those years have flown by – and on how the agency is positioning itself for the next 23 years of success.
LCA was established back on 1 August 1999 – a time when the GLA didn’t yet exist, social media was in its infancy and the worlds of development and planning were far less complex than today. It was a period of heady excitement – a brave new world of regional Government for London, which unleashed a proper focus on encouraging regeneration and ensuring that such development better benefited local communities.
We began our corporate life as just two people – co-founder, now Senior Advisor Robert Gordon Clark and myself – in a wonderful ground floor office in Paddington. Three Mayors (best not to count the number of Housing Ministers), one recession and one global health pandemic later, we start our 24th year of business as a very different company – a diverse, full service agency of over sixty people trusted by the largest names and brands in the sector, from British Land, Landsec, Related Argent and Quintain, to Westfield, Sky Studios, major Housing Associations and the NHS.
We now have expertise spanning social and traditional media promotion, London and national public affairs, engaging local communities and key stakeholders, generating insight through research, as well as print and digital design, to help create value for our clients. Which is just as well really, as this expertise and experience has never been more important given that we enter our new financial year with a cost of living crisis, tough economic times ahead and not even knowing who the Prime Minister is going to be, let alone the cabinet positions and changes to national planning policy.
But despite all that (and wondering how the hell it’s been 23 years) we feel confident and excited for the future. We love the work we do and the clients we work for. We remain the best in class agency, with the most skilled team we have ever had. And our ethical approach to business, transparency, how we look after our people and how we contribute positively to the wider community has never been more important.
Thank you to all those who have helped LCA along the way and I look forward to the challenges ahead.
LCA co-founder, Partner & Chief Executive Jonny Popper