Case Study: Client Focus - Ice Creates Ltd
The ICE story started in 1999 when two brothers, Stuart and Ian Jackson, and Amanda Madden united to launch a communications and design company in Merseyside. Today, 22 years later, ICE is a UK leader in behaviour change, with 62 teams across the UK, creating positive impact through research, experience design, behavioural science and communications and marketing.
Online and offline we help business’ build brands, campaigns, experiences and build the best leaders and teams to power organisations. We unlock hearts and minds, we get customers and employers alike to connect, feel huge loyalty and take action, for example, a buying decision or a commitment to stay and grow with your company. Our range of services, tools, products and experience means we are built to help the whole business, not just a part. We work with our clients guiding them through the application of customer and employee insights to create solutions that resonate with people and helps them to do things more easily, quickly and enjoyably, to know more and be their best, making a difference in their daily lives and what is important to them.
Whether big or small, on or off-line, our work pushes the envelope to challenge the status quo and, never settling for second best, increasing opportunities that emerging technologies offer us. We tell stories and narratives that don’t just activate a behaviour but see it through, build relationships and influence behaviours for our clients to achieve their goals and ambitions - we think the balance is people, profit, planet.
Our clients include private sector companies, small and large including agriculture and farming, we are proud to have the Red Shepherdess as part of our team, not forgetting our work with NHS and Public Health, Local Government and Global Pharma.
Our aspiration has always nudged us toward work that could make a bigger impact to our society. Using our engagement techniques, we have mobilised large groups of people to do amazing things - to sign up, to engage and to take action.
This insight into how as people we are motivated and behave led us to apply our knowledge to develop a groundbreaking development experience launched in Cumbria in 2014. Natural leaders is an immersive action learning experience tailored to business strategy, leadership and teams. To drive and accelerate the performance at a human level, to make sure you can achieve the maximum return from your investment in technology systems and people whilst yielding the best reward and happiness for your teams.
Based at Brookside Farm in Croglin, a picturesque fellside top-class facility placed between the Pennines and the River Eden, Natural Leaders creates growth and change safely and fast like no other. Brookside Farm is home to the Red Shepherdess and the Jackson family; there is a warmth and familiarity to the place that promotes calmness, tranquillity and space for self-development. Our partners tell us that the location, and particularly the barn, is a home from home experience.
We facilitate a powerful action-based learning experience, utilising the open fields and man’s best friend – the working sheepdog – to provide the space and tools to give leaders the time and space to re-assess behaviours with a focus on developing transformational and adaptive leadership styles. The beauty of Natural Leaders is that teams can immediately and safely put into practice what is learnt and gain confidence to be ready to implement new ways of work into the business environment.
Positive transformation is the focus of our work whether that be a lifestyle change, strategic development and support, leadership and team culture or b2b and consumer strategy – we build strong relationships with clients that nurtures trust, confidence and, ultimately, results. We believe everyone is a leader. First, we lead ourselves, then others. Being clear about why and how we want to be is central to the ICE and our Natural Leaders paradigm.
“Armstrong Watson has been a fabulous partner for us, we wanted an organisation that “got” us and could guide us in our growth ambition, to bring challenge and ideas to our long-term thinking and help us plan for all our futures. They have and are doing just that” - Stuart Jackson - Chief Executive
I offered to review their business protection needs, initially for the main shareholders Stu and Mandy. Initial research showed that their previous adviser had arranged inappropriate levels of cover. I advised bespoke cover to the needs of ICE Creates Ltd which led on to a discussion about personal protection needs for two shareholders. Then I was asked to review their SIPPs which were invested in a mishmash of funds.
More recently I have been referred two other shareholders and I am in the process of advising them on their pensions and have referred them to L&C for mortgage advice. I also advised ICE to arrange some new Relevant Life Plans bespoke to their needs. – Steve Shovlin
