There is definitely something special about Whitewater. After starting last week and spending my first three days immersed in agency meetings, learning about our clients, I felt a real energy and commitment from everyone I spoke with. Then I realised: it's in the Whitewater DNA. It jumps out at you and hollers - don't think about being part of what we stand for unless you are passionate and believe you can make a difference. The doors are closed to non-believers.

I worked through the revolution that made the Internet a part of everyones lives and during that time had the pleasure of working with some really bright people on ground-breaking global campaigns.
And still I have been blown away by the quality of the Whitewater team and the care they take in every aspect of what they do. It might be obvious that we care – after all we work with charities and non-profits – yet the result is work of the highest quality. And does it generate results? It had better. We are primarily in the response business so numbers are what makes us tick.

I have been introduced to campaigns that are generating new donors with a positive ROI; new ways of thinking that are making this industry consider a different approach to marketing; and a TV ad which moved one experienced client to tears (and if I am honest, my eyes were a little moist when it finished).

And the Whitewater effect is having a real impact. One of our recent pitch wins was so impressed by our first campaign and the stops we pulled out to hit her deadlines that she sent us very personal thank-you card, while in another instance, chocolates were found on an Account Director's desk as acknowledgement for the hard work put in by everyone on their recent campaign launch. Two separate client thank-you's in the same week - brilliant.

For the first time in quite a while, I cannot wait to get into work. I may have been part of the team for less than 72 hours, but I am already feeling the effect.

Mark Roper