For any SME starting out in the world of business, the situation is simple: it’s sink or swim. Indeed, research by Fundsquire shows that 20% of small businesses fail in their first year of trading, with a further 60% failing within the first three. Given how limited access to the right resources and guidance is for most SMEs, it’s small wonder why so many never truly get off the ground, especially with big corporations and global giants claiming a monopoly on the very best resources and investment.
During his previous tenure as CEO of various leading, international advertising agencies, Guy Hayward saw firsthand how countless small businesses floundered against the odds, while their deep-pocketed corporate counterparts continued to succeed with little to no resistance. Determined to shake up the status quo, and give nascent SMEs a fighting chance at success, Guy leveraged his 30 years of advertising experience – during which time he has supported the likes of Nike, Adidas, Microsoft, BMW, and HSBC, and has launched businesses in Europe, Latin America, the USA, and China – to establish his independent agency, Local Heroes. Through this enterprise, he has further solidified his position as one of the industry’s most sought-after marketers, helping small, locally owned businesses to grow, thrive, and get their brand voices heard.
Despite having set out on this mission, Guy admits that leaving the comfort of his corporate role wasn’t easy. ‘Frankly, I lost my job in a consolidation move a few years ago, and found I could not find another senior role in the business,” he explains. “My face simply didn’t fit any more.”
It was this event that inspired Guy to chart his own course, establish Local Heroes, and focus his efforts on something he feels deeply passionate about: namely, supporting independent businesses in their competition with the big corporates that he knows so well. In this endeavour, Guy has truly excelled. Indeed, Local Heroes has so far helped many SMEs across the golf, tech, aviation, leisure and beverage industries to put their brands on the map, and has had a big impact in its native Fife; something that Guy says has been a particularly important focus for him from day one.
‘Supporting our local business ecosystem is at the heart of what we do”, he continues. “Thriving businesses truly help a community to thrive.
“I have met and worked with some truly inspiring individuals over the last year or so, who have developed amazing ideas but didn’t have the inhouse marketing expertise to push their brands forwards. Not only is it amazing to see the result of our marketing campaigns and activity, but to also see their businesses grow, and the benefit this brings to the owner, their employees, family members and the wider community as a whole.”
Thanks to the efforts of agencies like Local Heroes, the fortunes of SMEs in the battle of the brands are beginning to change, and the playing field is becoming ever more level. This has created an environment in which many of the traditional corporates are running scared from the disruptive SMEs who are bursting on to the scene, and Guy has some insight into how this state of affairs has come about.
‘If you look at what motivates modern consumers, they want brands that have a purpose and are authentic,” he says. ‘My experience of SMEs is that this is coursing through their veins. Many brands owned by corporates have to invent or reinvent those qualities, and the laborious processes of corporates tend to dilute down such positive attributes of the brands.
‘Aside from there being too many stakeholders with too many opinions, its commonplace for large corporates to lose purpose, authenticity, and transparency, and this is what the modern consumer craves – particularly amongst a younger Gen Z demographic.’
Despite the increasing shift away from the bigger, more established corporate brands and towards bolder, more creative, and forward-thinking SMEs, Guy believes that there is still room – and demand – for both.
‘There currently is – and my guess is there always will be,’ he asserts. ‘In the end, it is down to consumers as to which brands thrive and which don’t, which is why it’s so important to resonate with what consumers want and are looking for.’
Regardless of what the future holds for corporates, one thing’s for certain: Guy’s commitment will remain steadfastly on helping SMEs to grow their brands. ‘Ultimately,’ he concludes, ‘we need to give SMEs access to the business expertise that they need to compete against the corporates, who wield so much power. We need to stack the deck in favour of SMEs so that the UK and wider international business community can grow, innovate and thrive.’
