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Secure, flexible technology that enables creativity for Stranger & Stranger
“LeftBrain has wonderful people”, exclaims Cheryl R. Blain, Chief Operating Officer of Stranger & Stranger. “It’s a tremendous thing not to worry. When I hand a tech project over to LeftBrain, I know it will just get done. There is so much value in that level of trust”.
A seven-year partnership
We couldn’t have asked for a better client story, as Cheryl shares about our seven-year partnership and offers insights from her fascinating career. “I want to be working for someone who is brilliant, and great at what they do. I want to be working with people who are top of their game. I want to love what I do, and feel like I’m contributing something important to the company as a whole. When I joined Stranger & Stranger, that’s exactly what I found: my forever home”.
Stranger & Stranger is a multi award-winning creative design company, specialising in packaging for the international drinks trade. They create brands, giving clients the sexiest packaging that people just can’t put down and providing all the collateral needed to make a brand flourish. They have the strapline: DON’T FIT IN. STAND OUT.™ Given that one of our values here at LeftBrain is ‘challenge the status quo’, we have definitely found a kindred spirit (excuse the pun).
Crafting beautiful stories
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“I love a product with a story”, Cheryl explains. “Stranger works with our clients to tell their stories through their package designs. The bottles we create are so, so beautiful. I know you aren’t supposed to have a favourite child… but one of my favourites is the Isle of Harris Gin bottle, from a distillery on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. It’s influenced by the people and the place. As a knitter, I love the fact that the bottle was created to reflect the yarn of that famous tweed coming from the island, with its subtle colours and shape reflecting the landscape.”
"It’s a tremendous thing not to worry. When I hand a tech project over to LeftBrain, I know it will just get done. There is so much value in that level of trust."
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End-to-end workplace tech strategy
We ask Cheryl how she’s found working with LeftBrain over the years. “We started small” she answers. “In the early days, we were using another IT provider and asked LeftBrain for occasional, basic support. But time and time again, you knocked it out of the park. To continue with the baseball analogy, our other IT provider struck out and we eventually decided to hand over our entire workplace technology to LeftBrain. Since then, everything has been as smooth as can be. We know you’re working away on things in the background, but we rarely experience disruption”.
"Working with LeftBrain keeps our network and data secure and saves us money in the long run, helping us to best serve and protect the intellectual property and trade secrets of our clients."
Enabling secure, cloud-based flexibility and creativity
LeftBrain implemented a global data migration from local servers to cloud-based shared drives, overtook a comprehensive security overhaul with updated MDM and identity management systems, coordinated and implemented their office move (including network build, CCTV, and AV meeting room setup) and provide ongoing user support to the UK office.
Cheryl goes on: “Having our workplace tech and cloud-based working environments really dialled in is so important. If systems are down, people can’t be productive. Stranger & Stranger is all about flexible, remote working these days. We realise that creativity can’t be forced into 9 to 5 hours, so the work that LeftBrain has done to enable this flexibility is crucial to our success as a creative business and the happiness of our team. We have people working in multiple locations across the globe, so our cloud-based working environment enables us to collaborate wherever we are”.
Information security that saves money
“We also have to comply with cyber security standards”, she explains. “With cyber risks ever increasing, there are higher expectations on our security posture. The LeftBrain information security team has been brilliant at helping us meet these standards, and proving to our insurance company that our network and data is secure. If I was to give one testimonial, I would say: working with LeftBrain keeps our network and data secure and saves us money in the long run, helping us to best serve and protect the intellectual property and trade secrets of our clients”.
One final comment from Cheryl before we end the interview: “your team handles us so beautifully. Calling LeftBrain is always a pleasure, and we consider you an extension of our wonderful and diverse Stranger & Stranger family”.
Long may it continue.
What’s your story?
If your internal tech story’s turning into a thriller, tragedy or full on dystopian horror, let’s write the next chapter together, and we’ll all live happily ever after.
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