Perform^[cb]‘s 2020 Year in Review

As we start the new year we have to admit that we won’t be sad to see 2020 in the rear-view mirror – but before we move on, we want to take a moment to reflect and highlight the ways that Perform^[cb] made 2020 a special year, in spite of the challenges. As a team we worked hard, bonded early in the year in person, and later virtually as we implemented an entirely remote-work culture due to the global pandemic. We were still able to feel connected in the year of social distancing, and with a strong team of innovative individuals, we are very proud of what we were able to accomplish. We were even able to continue to grow with the acquisition of the Direct business from Digital Remedy in late December. Read more about Perform^[cb]‘s acquisition of Digital Remedy’s direct business unit here.

And read on to see what else we did in 2020…

Proud to be #1!

2020 was off to a great start with the news that our clients voted the Perform^[cb] Network mThink Blue Book #1 Performance Network for the fourth year in a row! We couldn’t have done it without the amazing clients, marketers, and partners we work with every day, and we are full of gratitude for everyone who helped make this happen!  In case you missed it, during the voting period for 2021 (we’re going for our 5th consecutive year – results to be announced in early January) mThink published an in-depth review of Perform[cb], our proprietary platform.

Think Bigger 2020

As we have every year in February, our Denver, Bosnia, Sarasota, and remote offices came together to “Think Bigger”. This was way back when social gatherings were still happening. Our team met at the beautiful Zota Beach Resort in warm and sunny Longboat Key, Florida. We took a few days to celebrate and learn from 2019, and plan for 2020.  In addition to unveiling our new brand, this year’s theme was “Let’s Go….Again!” with a focus on taking the wins from 2019 and turning them into something bigger for 2020.  All with a little bonding, dining, “cocktailing” and beach time together mixed into the agenda.  

Introducing Perform^[cb]

On February 25th, 2020, Clickbooth, Adperio, and Ignite OPM were officially integrated and rebranded as Perform^[cb], representing our vision to create the premier performance marketing destination. Many people wonder how we came up with that name, so we’ll tell you: PERFORM is in our DNA, and the ^[cb] is a nod to the heritage of Clickbooth.  We love it so much, we even wrote it in the sand! For more specifics on our rebrand, read more about it on our rebrand announcement blog post! 

And Then Came March…COVID19 Response and Work From Home Pivot

With the safety of our community and team at the forefront, our team switched gears in less than a week’s notice to a 100% remote workforce in mid-March due to the Covid-19 pandemic and quarantine. Although it wasn’t under the greatest circumstances, our teams embraced this new virtual environment.  In fact, we took to it so well that a completely flexible work week was instituted, allowing our team members to work anytime and anyplace in the 7 days of a week that best suits their life and needs. Going back to our core principle that we Trust and Support our People,  this will remain in place even after the pandemic! To further support our team members, Perform^[cb] implemented a brand new Monetary Parental Benefit to help working parents with some of the costs of dealing with home-schooling or finding alternate child care options during the time of Covid-19. And just for fun, our Summer Fridays which allow our team members to log off at 2 pm on Fridays were morphed into  “Pandemic Fridays” and extended through the end of the year.

But that’s not all we did about Fridays
To try to shed some light in the midst of all of the bad news in the world, our CEO Erin started a weekly ritual of sending out a “Good News Friday” email that recaps good news from around the company.  This can range from personal records by the sales team, to a new baby born into the Perform^[cb] family (we welcomed 10, with 4 on the way), to one of our team members completing a degree program or a marathon.  It’s all in the spirit of spreading positivity!

Diversity Focus

This year we spent time pausing and reflecting on how we could better help the community and organizations that were fighting for equality, support, and inclusivity of all citizens nationwide. In July, our team members chose organizations to donate to, and Perform^[cb] matched their donations. We were honored to support local organizations such as AMIkids and FUNducation INC. It was important to us that we also supported national organizations including Black Lives Matter, ACLU, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Black Voters Matter, Colorado Freedom Fund, Innocence Project, Equal Justice Initiative, and The Trevor Project. Moving forward into 2021, we are continuing to strive for inclusion and diversity in all of our efforts, and have put into place a Diversity Task Force consisting of members of our team and from the community.  From the team we build, to the organizations we choose to support, the mission of the task force is continued action to strive to make our company and community a more equal and just place for all.

Summer Virtual Vacations

The summer of 2020 looked a lot different than expected with many team members canceling their summer vacations, and with group outings being out of the question. So, we did what we do best, we improvised and got creative with a virtual vacation series! Nearly every week, different volunteer hosts demonstrated how to make a cocktail or treat from a geographic location of their choice. Team members came together via Zoom from their kitchens, living rooms, and even boats…to join in this virtual vacation around the globe! From Mexico to Japan to the home base of our Development team, Banja Luka, this allowed team members to feel more connected in the year of “social distancing” and was quite an entertaining experience.

You Get A Kazoo…Everybody Gets A Kazoo!

A big piece that was missing in our new virtual world was the ability to personally acknowledge a peer who had done something special, gone the extra mile, or hit a goal.  Well, we take culture seriously…and in September, our HR team including our Vibe Managers (we have one for the US and one for Bosnia) launched Kazoo – a recognition and rewards platform that allows our team to recognize and appreciate each other using “Kazoo points”. To announce the launch, each team member received a kazoo in the mail!  Now our team members can use awarded points to cash out and receive gifts which can be chosen from an amazing collection of curated items from furniture to trips, to gift cards. Besides being able to award points to others, team members can earn points for doing things to take care of themselves, like daily meditation and workouts. 

Staying Connected

Our team had some great ways to stay connected this year to keep things as “normal” as possible, and since small (socially distanced) groups were still an option, our Perform^[cb] Agency team hosted a few outdoor park meetups. Whether it was for a small team lunch by a river with our Bosnia team (and a dip in a river for the bravest), or to gather and enjoy some ice cream in the amazing Denver weather, a little fresh air was just what we needed! For when we couldn’t meet in person, we came together for some fun virtual events such as team Murder Mysteries, Paint and Sip, and Virtual Reality parties! 

Wellness Week and Book Club kick-off

When we first shifted to WFH, it felt like many of our team members were good at carving out time to take care of themselves by taking virtual fitness classes or going for bike rides and walks.  But as Summer turned to Fall, many of us were starting to feel the emotional and physical effects of living through a global pandemic.  Our amazing HR team did a survey to find out how we’d been collectively impacted by the pandemic.  The survey found 36% of us felt alone at some point, 28% of the team had a friend or family member hospitalized or lost due to covid, and18% of us had someone in our home who is on the front lines, during the pandemic. 

In response to the survey, the HR team launched “Wellness Week” in October which was a full week of personal wellness activities with rewards, webinars to lift our team’s spirits and help with their overall well being, and a full review of all of the amazing benefits we have at our fingertips as employees. To close out the week, they brought in a virtual guest speaker, Pilar Gerasimo, the author of the book The Healthy Deviant  which she wrote in hopes of inspiring others to embrace their own Health.  This book became the first book to kick-off our Book Club, joined by 20+ team members who are going to read and discuss one book per month. 

Perform^[cb] is Thankful! Holiday Food & Cocktail Demo

Typically in November, our groups gather in their respective cities for a “Be Thankful Together” meal, but this year we obviously could not do that.  So, instead, we had a virtual group event to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday that was exciting and tasty, to say the least! Our team came to us from their kitchens to participate via Zoom as Chef & Mixologist from Uncorked Kitchen & Wine Bar in Denver walked us through the recipe steps to make Brie and Caramelized Onion Tartlet with Cranberry Mustard Sauce, and Vanilla Cinnamon cocktails. They brought the knowledge and the demo, and we brought the holiday cheer!  Even some of the Perform^[cb] kiddos joined in (the food, not the cocktails)!

Denver and Sarasota Holiday Donation Drives

From a cultural standpoint, we are always excited to give back to our community partners, and this holiday season was no exception. Our team’s contributions included Thanksgiving baskets and a virtual Turkey Trot with our partners at Mile-High United Way, a holiday toy drive with Denver’s Bridging the Gap program, Mothers Helping Mothers Giving Tuesday, Mayors Feed the Hungry in Sarasota, Project Santa’s Helper with our friends at Girls Inc., and Mosaik of Friendship in Bosnia. We were thrilled we were also able to contribute to Colorado Gives Day, which helps build better communities by  providing resources such as school readiness programs for children, basic needs assistance, and job placement. 

Holiday Celebrations

Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) gift wrapping
We are so happy the pandemic didn’t stop this tradition! For the past 11 years, the Perform^[cb] team has sponsored a GAL child for each of its Sarasota employees. The team typically gets together to shop and wrap the gifts that the GAL children requested from Santa. Although we only had a small group from our team shop for gifts this year due to the pandemic, that didn’t slow us down – we were able to make holiday dreams a little more real for 80 children!  

Ugly Sweater
We finished 2020 off with our annual “Ugly Sweater Party”, and although it was virtual, it was one for the books. Merrick Aiken, our guest mixologist, gave us the lowdown on “at-home bartending.” He walked us through making a delicious Winter Rum Daiquiri and a tasty Orange Cinnamon Whiskey Smash.  Fun fact..Merrick told us that garnishing a cocktail does not change the flavor, but it changes the smell, which changes the way your mouth tastes the drink! Follow him on Instagram for more special cocktail recipes!

And, what is an Ugly Sweater party without a little competition? Congratulations to our first place Ugly Sweater winner, Beth, for her “grandma got run over by a reindeer” inspired look! 

Wheel of Fortune
Every day for one week in December, we all got excited to hop on “Zoom” to watch the “Wheel of Fortune” spinner randomly choose our raffle prize winners! Bose headphones, kayaks, gift cards, and even a Quietkat Ranger got raffled off as prizes for our lucky winners to receive as gifts during this holiday season!  This was definitely a fun way to usher in the holidays and the new year.

Auld Lang Syne

As the old Scots-language poem traditionally sung to bid farewell to the year and welcome in the next says “Should auld acquaintance be forgot; Well take a cup of kindness yet”, the care we have for our team and that the team has for their community was able to shine through the clouds of 2020.  What we’ve faced together has helped us grow stronger than ever  before, and we are all proud to be a part of this incredible company, Perform^[cb]. We are hopeful and excited to make 2021 an amazing year, and we wish the same to our incredible clients and marketers, and partners!